Paul Nicolas

Paul Nicolas (4 November 1899 – 3 March 1959) was a French footballer who played as a striker. He was part of the France national football teams at the 1920, 1924, and 1928 Summer Olympics.

He was also part of the France national football team selection committee.

Club career Paul Nicolas lost his mother at the age of 3, and then his father in 1914. He was raised by his mother-in-law together with his brother Henri. He began his football career with Saint-Mandé Club in 1916. Initially, he played as a defender, but he quickly realized that his destiny laid at the forefront since he scored many goals. He participated in the football tournaments of three Olympic games (1920, 1924, and 1928), scoring a total of four goals in five games, including one against Uruguay, which was the best team at the time. Together with the likes of Lucien Gamblin and Albert Rénier, he helped France win Group A with two goals against Romania (4–0), a poker against Greece (11–0) and a decisive goal against Greece (2–0). However, he failed to score in the final as they were beaten 2–3 by Czechoslovakia.

Retirement

A football lover, he could not bring himself to leave the world of football. Endowed with a strong personality, he joined the selection committee of the France national team in August 1949. He stayed there until December 1953, when, following the double disappearance of Emmanuel Gambardella and Georges Bayrou, he was appointed president of the Groupement des clubs authorized (the forerunner of the Ligue de Football Professionnel) — he would remain in this position until June 1956. He returned to the selection in September 1954 as "director of the France team", contributing to the team's third-place finish at the 1958 FIFA World Cup.

On his return from a disputed France-Belgium match in 1959 in Colombes, Paul Nicolas was the victim of a terrible car accident that cost him his life. His tragic death shook French football. Half a century later, his memory is still alive.

International goals France score listed first, score column indicates score after each Nicolas goal.

Honours Red Star Olympique Coupe de France: 1921, 1922, 1923 and 1928

France Inter-Allied Games (1919) runner-up