Paul Escudé

Paul Escudé
Personal information
Full name Paul Escudé
Date of birth (1950-06-22)June 22, 1950
Place of birth Safi, Morocco
Date of death December 27, 1998(1998-12-27) (aged 48)
Place of death Pau, France
Position(s) Winger
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1966–1969 FC Pau
1969–1971 Bordeaux B
1971–1980 VS Chartres
1982–1984 FC Pau
International career
France juniors
Managerial career
1980–1990 FC Pau
1991–1992 FC Pau
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Paul Escudé (French pronunciation: [pɔl ɛ.sky.de]; 22 June 1950 – 27 December 1998) is a French former football player and manager known for being in charge of Pau for more than 10 years and for leading the team to national prominence.

He was the father of former footballer Julien Escudé and former tennis player Nicolas Escudé.

Biography

Escudé was born in Safi, Morocco. He made his first-team debut for FC Pau at the age of 16, playing as a winger, and represented France at junior level.

In 1969, he signed with FC Girondins de Bordeaux, where he played until 1971. During an international tour in North Africa, he sustained a serious knee injury that significantly limited his playing career. After leaving Bordeaux, he spent more than a decade with VS Chartres before returning to FC Pau as player/manager in the third division[1].

Following his retirement as a player, Escudé became head coach of FC Pau[2]. He managed the club from 1983 to 1990[3]. Despite limited financial resources and infrastructure, he played a key role in structuring the club[4].

At the end of the 1989–90 season, Escudé left his position following the arrival of new club management[5]. On 15 July 1991, FC Pau president Alain Pitoun reappointed him as head coach[6], making Escudé the manager with the longest tenure in the club’s history[7].

Escudé died on 27 December 1998 in Pau.

Legacy

A football ground in Pau is named the Stade Paul Escudé. It was inaugurated in 2010 by his sons Julien and Nicolas[8].

References


  1. ^ Pau 1959. "Paul Escudé | Joueur du Pau FC". 1959.football (in French). Retrieved 2025-08-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "Football | Historique. Il y a 35 ans, l'AS Nancy Lorraine s'était sortie du piège palois…". www.estrepublicain.fr (in French). 2020-10-03. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  3. ^ "Entre le FC Pau et ses Ehpad, Bernard Laporte-Fray est sur tous les fronts". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  4. ^ "Coupe de France : Au Pau FC, la coupe est pleine de belles histoires". SudOuest.fr (in French). 2023-01-20. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  5. ^ "Football - CFA : David Vignes reprend le flambeau du Pau FC". SudOuest.fr (in French). 2014-11-18. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  6. ^ "L'ancien promoteur et ancien président du Pau FC, Alain Pitoun, est décédé". LaRepubliqueDesPyrenees (in French). 2011-08-23. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  7. ^ "Football: C'est officiel, le Pau FC est en Ligue 2, une montée historique !". France 3 Nouvelle-Aquitaine (in French). 2020-05-14. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  8. ^ "Les frères Escudé à Pau pour inaugurer un terrain au nom de leur père". La République des Pyrénées (in French). 2010-12-11.