Benjamin Nivet

Benjamin Nivet (born 2 January 1977) is a French former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.

Benjamin Nivet

Personal information
Date of birth	(1977-01-02) 2 January 1977
Place of birth	Chartres, France
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1997–2000	Auxerre	13	(0)
1999–2000	→ Châteauroux (loan)	30	(5)
2000–2002	Châteauroux	54	(8)
2002–2007	Troyes	165	(32)
2007–2012	Caen	167	(24)
2012–2019	Troyes	226	(41)
Total		655	(110)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He began his career in 1997 with Auxerre, and is best known for his association with Troyes, whom he represented over 12 years in two separate spells, from 2002 to 2007 and later from 2012 until his retirement in 2019. He also spent five years at Caen between 2007 and 2012.

Nivet holds the records at Troyes for most appearances and most goals for the club.[1]

Career

Born in Chartres, Nivet started his career as a youth with Auxerre. He made his first league appearances in the 1997–98 season. However, by the end of the following season, he had made only twelve further appearances and was sent on loan to Ligue 2 club Châteauroux for the 1999–2000 season, before making the move permanent for the next season.

After establishing himself as a regular for Châteauroux, he made the step back up to Ligue 1 with Troyes in January 2002. Despite a slow start, Nivet established himself as a regular in the club's 2002–03 relegation season. Wearing the number 10 shirt, he proved an eye for goal, weighing in with 12 goals in Troyes' 2005–06 promotion season. He played at Troyes from 2002 to 2007.

He signed a three-year contract with Stade Malherbe Caen on 8 June 2007, a club newly promoted to Ligue 1.

After five years in Caen, he could not avoid relegation at the end of the 2011–12 season. A free agent, he returned to Troyes, promoted to Ligue 1, signing a one-year contract on 11 June 2012.[2]

On 28 May 2017, Nivet scored the decisive goal which saw Troyes promoted to Ligue 1 after defeating Lorient 2–1 in the two legged promotion/relegation game.[3]

In the spring of 2019, Nivet announced his retirement from professional football aged 42.[4]

Career statistics

Sources:[5][6][7]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Cup[nb 1]		Other[nb 2]		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Auxerre	1997–98	Division 1	7	0	2	0	—		9	0
	1998–99		6	0	—		—		6	0
	Total		13	0	2	0	0	0	15	0
Châteauroux	1999–2000	Division 2	30	5	3	0	—		33	5
	2000–01		33	4	6	1	—		39	5
	2001–02		21	4	4	0	—		25	0
	Total		84	13	13	1	0	0	97	14
Troyes	2001–02	Division 1 / Ligue 1	6	0	1	0	—		7	0
	2002–03		23	2	1	0	—		24	2
	2003–04	Ligue 2	35	6	4	1	—		39	7
	2004–05		32	12	3	1	—		35	13
	2005–06	Ligue 1	38	6	2	1	—		40	7
	2006–07		31	6	2	0	—		33	6
	Total		165	32	13	3	0	0	178	35
Caen	2007–08	Ligue 1	35	2	1	0	—		36	2
	2008–09		32	6	2	0	—		34	6
	2009–10	Ligue 2	36	6	4	0	—		40	6
	2010–11	Ligue 1	31	3	3	0	—		34	3
	2011–12		33	7	3	0	—		36	7
	Total		167	24	13	0	0	0	180	24
Troyes	2012–13	Ligue 1	37	10	3	0	—		40	10
	2013–14	Ligue 2	36	8	7	3	—		43	11
	2014–15		35	11	2	0	—		37	11
	2015–16	Ligue 1	34	3	2	1	—		36	4
	2016–17	Ligue 2	36	7	1	2	2	1	39	10
	2017–18	Ligue 1	26	2	3	2	0	0	29	4
	2018–19	Ligue 2	22	0	1	0	1	0	24	0
	Total		226	41	19	8	3	1	248	50
Career total			655	110	60	12	3	1	718	123

Notes

1. Includes Coupe de France, Coupe de la Ligue
2. Includes Ligue 1 relegation playoffs

References

1. FEATURE | A Nivet Ending Story: the 40-year-old leading Troyes’s charge to avoid another humiliating Ligue 1 season | Get French Football News
2. "ESTAC Troyes - Site officiel - Archives des fils info". ESTAC (in French). Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
3. Ligue1.com - Troyes trump Lorient for top-flight spot
4. The medal of the day At 42, Benjamin Nivet retires as a professional footballer | Sport Archives
5. "Benjamin Nivet » Club matches". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
6. "Ligue1.com - Player profile Benjamin NIVET (ESTAC Troyes)". Ligue 1.
7. "Benjamin NIVET - Football : la fiche de Benjamin NIVET (Troyes)". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 6 June 2017.

External links

• Benjamin Nivet – French league stats at LFP (also available in French)
• Benjamin Nivet at L'Équipe Football (in French)