# Rémi Garde
**Rémi Garde** (born 1966 in L'Arbresle, Rhône) is a French former footballer and manager who played as a midfielder for [Olympique Lyonnais](https://www.edgepedia.org/olympique-lyonnais), RC Strasbourg, and Arsenal, won six caps for France, and later managed Lyon, Aston Villa, and the Montreal Impact.[1](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/9766-garde-remi/fiche.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1966, L'Arbresle (Rhône); midfielder, right-footed, 175 cm[1](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/9766-garde-remi/fiche.html) |
| Playing clubs | Olympique Lyonnais 1984–1993; RC Strasbourg 1993–1996; Arsenal FC 1996–1999[1](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/9766-garde-remi/fiche.html) |
| France record | 6 caps, 2 starts, 273 minutes, 0 goals; first cap 21 January 1990 against Kuwait, last 27 May 1992 against Switzerland[1](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/9766-garde-remi/fiche.html) |
| Honors as player | English champion 1998 and Charity Shield 1998 with Arsenal; French second-division champion 1989 with Lyon[1](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/9766-garde-remi/fiche.html) |
| Lyon head coach | Summer 2011 to 2014; adopted the 4-4-2 diamond in autumn 2013 and reached the 2014 Coupe de la Ligue final[2](https://www.eurosport.fr/football/coupe-de-la-ligue/2013-2014/petit-a-petit-garde-a-faconne-l-ol-et-trouve-son-style_sto4217270/story.shtml) |
| Aston Villa | Appointed 8 November 2015, dismissed in March 2016; Villa finished last in the Premier League with 17 points from 38 games and were relegated[3](https://as.com/futbol/2016/06/02/internacional/1464882580_678754.html) |
| Montreal Impact | 2017 to August 2019; 67 matches, 28 wins, 9 draws, 30 losses, then replaced by Wilmer Cabrera[4](https://as.com/us/us/2019/08/22/futbol/1566426451_192366.html) |
## Playing career
Garde came through at Olympique Lyonnais, where he played from 1984 to 1993 and was part of the side that won the French second division in 1989.[1](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/9766-garde-remi/fiche.html) He spent three seasons at RC Strasbourg from 1993 to 1996 before moving to England.[1](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/9766-garde-remi/fiche.html)
At Arsenal, where he arrived in July 1996, he was part of the squad that won the 1997–98 Premier League and FA Cup Double, collecting a Premier League winner's medal and the 1998 Charity Shield.[1](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/9766-garde-remi/fiche.html) He retired on 1 July 1999, with Arsenal as his last club and Lyon the club for which he had made the most appearances.[5](https://www.transfermarkt.com/remi-garde/stationen/trainer/3736)
For France, Garde earned six caps between 1990 and 1992, starting twice and playing 273 minutes without scoring. His first appearance was a 1–0 win over Kuwait on 21 January 1990, and his last a friendly against Switzerland on 27 May 1992, in which he came on for the final 19 minutes of a 2–1 defeat.[1](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/9766-garde-remi/fiche.html)
## Olympique Lyonnais
Garde returned to Lyon as an assistant coach, working under Paul Le Guen and [Gérard Houllier](https://www.edgepedia.org/gerard-houllier) during the club's dominant years, and was described in the club's registration document as an assistant coach and former OL player.[2](https://www.eurosport.fr/football/coupe-de-la-ligue/2013-2014/petit-a-petit-garde-a-faconne-l-ol-et-trouve-son-style_sto4217270/story.shtml) • [6](https://www.actusnews.com/documents/ACTUS-0-5273-ol-ddr-1213-gb-vdef-310114.pdf) He took charge of the first team in the summer of 2011, succeeding [Claude Puel](https://www.edgepedia.org/claude-puel), and assembled a technical staff of long-standing collaborators drawn from his own playing days at the club.[2](https://www.eurosport.fr/football/coupe-de-la-ligue/2013-2014/petit-a-petit-garde-a-faconne-l-ol-et-trouve-son-style_sto4217270/story.shtml) • [7](https://www.leparisien.fr/sports/remi-garde-presente-ses-hommes-21-07-2011-1539987.php)
His first season ended in disappointment in Europe: Lyon were eliminated in the Champions League round of 16 by APOEL Nicosia, while the team remained in contention for the two domestic cups.[2](https://www.eurosport.fr/football/coupe-de-la-ligue/2013-2014/petit-a-petit-garde-a-faconne-l-ol-et-trouve-son-style_sto4217270/story.shtml) • [8](https://www.poteaux-carres.com/article-C3720120316085211-Une-vilaine-tactique.html)
**Tactical evolution.** Garde's Lyon sides shifted formations repeatedly. Early in his tenure the team played a 4-2-3-1, sometimes compressing into a more defensive 4-1-4-1, and in 2011–12 oscillated between a 4-4-2 defensive shape and a 4-2-3-1 in attack.[2](https://www.eurosport.fr/football/coupe-de-la-ligue/2013-2014/petit-a-petit-garde-a-faconne-l-ol-et-trouve-son-style_sto4217270/story.shtml) • [8](https://www.poteaux-carres.com/article-C3720120316085211-Une-vilaine-tactique.html) The decisive change came in the 2013–14 season. After a strong August, injuries and [Real Sociedad](https://www.edgepedia.org/real-sociedad)'s successful neutralization of [Yoann Gourcuff](https://www.edgepedia.org/yoann-gourcuff) in the Champions League playoff sent Lyon into a slump that left them 14th at the end of October following a 1–2 defeat at Monaco. In that Monaco match Garde installed a 4-4-2 diamond in midfield, and weeks later the system was permanently established against Toulouse.[2](https://www.eurosport.fr/football/coupe-de-la-ligue/2013-2014/petit-a-petit-garde-a-faconne-l-ol-et-trouve-son-style_sto4217270/story.shtml)
The diamond suited the squad: [Alexandre Lacazette](https://www.edgepedia.org/alexandre-lacazette) moved from the right wing to lead the attack with strong results, and the central overloads let Lyon release either Gourcuff or the full-backs depending on the opponent. From this base Garde varied between a 4-3-3 and a 3-5-2; at Bordeaux he switched mid-match from a 3-5-2 to the diamond with Lacazette behind two strikers, and Lyon recovered to win in the final seconds. Lyon reached the 2014 [Coupe de la Ligue](https://www.edgepedia.org/coupe-de-la-ligue) final, where it faced Paris Saint-Germain, and had beaten PSG 1–0 in the league shortly beforehand despite missing five regulars.[2](https://www.eurosport.fr/football/coupe-de-la-ligue/2013-2014/petit-a-petit-garde-a-faconne-l-ol-et-trouve-son-style_sto4217270/story.shtml) Over the 2013–14 league season Lyon played 38 matches under Garde, winning 17, drawing 10, and losing 11.[9](https://www.footmercato.net/entraineur/remi-garde)
## Aston Villa
Garde was appointed manager of Aston Villa on 8 November 2015, with the club already in the Premier League relegation zone and winless since the opening day of the season on 8 August.[3](https://as.com/futbol/2016/06/02/internacional/1464882580_678754.html) • [10](https://kuwaittimes.com/uploads/imported_images/pdf/2016/jan/12/kt.pdf) The situation did not improve: by January 2016 Villa sat last, 11 points from safety with 18 games remaining, and Garde was left with the January transfer window to try to mount an escape.[10](https://kuwaittimes.com/uploads/imported_images/pdf/2016/jan/12/kt.pdf) He was dismissed in March 2016, shortly before the club's relegation was confirmed; Villa finished the season bottom of the Premier League with 17 points from 38 matches.[3](https://as.com/futbol/2016/06/02/internacional/1464882580_678754.html) Across his 23 league matches in charge, Villa recorded 3 wins and 7 draws.[9](https://www.footmercato.net/entraineur/remi-garde) He was succeeded by [Roberto Di Matteo](https://www.edgepedia.org/roberto-di-matteo) that June.[3](https://as.com/futbol/2016/06/02/internacional/1464882580_678754.html)
## Montreal Impact
Garde's next and, to date, last club job came in [Major League Soccer](https://www.edgepedia.org/major-league-soccer), where he took over the Montreal Impact in 2017, the appointment of owner Joey Saputo after the club had missed the playoffs the previous year.[4](https://as.com/us/us/2019/08/22/futbol/1566426451_192366.html) • [11](https://as.com/us/2018/02/28/futbol/1519798420_183553.html) Over two seasons he led the team in 67 matches, with 28 wins, 9 draws, and 30 losses. Montreal dismissed him in August 2019, when the club stood seventh in the Eastern Conference with 34 points, and announced Wilmer Cabrera as his replacement.[4](https://as.com/us/us/2019/08/22/futbol/1566426451_192366.html)
## Managerial record
| Club | Season(s) | Matches | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyon (Ligue 1) | 2013/14 | 38 | 17 wins, 10 draws, 11 losses[9](https://www.footmercato.net/entraineur/remi-garde) |
| Aston Villa (Premier League) | 2015/16 | 23 | 3 wins, 7 draws[9](https://www.footmercato.net/entraineur/remi-garde) |
| Montreal Impact (MLS) | 2017–2019 | 67 | 28 wins, 9 draws, 30 losses[4](https://as.com/us/us/2019/08/22/futbol/1566426451_192366.html) |
## References
1. [Rémi Garde, Fiche joueur, Fédération Française de Football](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/9766-garde-remi/fiche.html)
2. [Petit à petit, Garde a façonné l'OL et trouvé son style, Eurosport (17 April 2014)](https://www.eurosport.fr/football/coupe-de-la-ligue/2013-2014/petit-a-petit-garde-a-faconne-l-ol-et-trouve-son-style_sto4217270/story.shtml)
3. [El Aston Villa anuncia a Di Matteo como su nuevo técnico, AS (2 June 2016)](https://as.com/futbol/2016/06/02/internacional/1464882580_678754.html)
4. [Montreal destituye a Rémi Garde y anuncia a Wilmer Cabrera, AS (22 August 2019)](https://as.com/us/us/2019/08/22/futbol/1566426451_192366.html)
5. [Rémi Garde – History, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.com/remi-garde/stationen/trainer/3736)
6. [Olympique Lyonnais Registration Document 2012/13](https://www.actusnews.com/documents/ACTUS-0-5273-ol-ddr-1213-gb-vdef-310114.pdf)
7. [Rémi Garde présente ses hommes, Le Parisien (21 July 2011)](https://www.leparisien.fr/sports/remi-garde-presente-ses-hommes-21-07-2011-1539987.php)
8. [Une vilaine tactique, Poteaux Carrés (2012)](https://www.poteaux-carres.com/article-C3720120316085211-Une-vilaine-tactique.html)
9. [Rémi Garde, Entraîneur : Palmarès, Carrière, Footmercato](https://www.footmercato.net/entraineur/remi-garde)
10. [Kuwait Times, 12 January 2016 (PDF)](https://kuwaittimes.com/uploads/imported_images/pdf/2016/jan/12/kt.pdf)
11. [5 cosas que tienes que saber sobre el Montreal Impact en la MLS 2018, AS (28 February 2018)](https://as.com/us/2018/02/28/futbol/1519798420_183553.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Managers and coaches › French, Dutch, and Nordic managers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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