Élie_Kroupi
Éli Kroupi
Ivorian footballer
"Éli" Zahi Verges Napoles Kroupi (born 18 October 1979) is an Ivorian former footballer who played as a forward. He played for, among others, Rennes, Valence, Lorient, Angers and Al-Wahda FC.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Zahi Verges Napoles Kroupi | ||
| Date of birth | (1979-10-18) 18 October 1979 (age 44) | ||
| Place of birth | Kadrokpa, Sassandra, Ivory Coast | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–1998 | Rennes | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–1998 | Rennes | 2 | (0) |
| 1998–2000 | Valence | 22 | (3) |
| 2000–2004 | Lorient | 93 | (29) |
| 2004 | Angers | 4 | (0) |
| 2004–2006 | Nancy | 43 | (23) |
| 2007 | → Al-Wahda (loan) | ||
| 2007–2008 | Arezzo | 6 | (2) |
| 2008 | Levadiakos | 8 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | Nîmes | 7 | (1) |
| 2010 | Al Urooba | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Kroupi was born in Kadrokpa, Sassandra, Ivory Coast.
Whilst at Lorient, Kroupi played in the 2002 Coupe de France Final, in which they beat SC Bastia.[1]
He spent the 2006–07 season on loan at United Arab Emirates side Al-Wahda FC. In July 2007, it was announced that Kroupi would not return to AS Nancy, after the club decided to cancel his contract. Then, Kroupi signed with Greek club Levadiakos F.C. in 2008. After 8 appearances for Levadiakos, he returned to France. This time, he signed with Nîmes Olympique in Ligue 2.[2] On 18 March 2010, Al Urooba signed the Ivorian striker from Nîmes.[3]
Kroupi is known for his speed, his ability to shoot accurately with both feet, and his supreme scoring ability. He was also one of the top scorers in Ligue 1 during the 2005–06 season.[4]
Kroupi holds Ivorian and French nationalities.[5] His cousin is Cleveland City Stars player Arsène Oka.[6] His son Eli Junior Kroupi is also a professional footballer.[7]
Lorient
Nancy
- "Bastia 0-1 Lorient". lequipe.fr. 11 May 2002. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
- Profile & Statistics at Guardian's Stats Centre
- "Ex Arezzo Kroupi va negli Emirati - Yahoo! Eurosport". Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
- (in French) Élie Kroupi stats
- "Player profile". Ligue2 (in French). Retrieved 10 October 2023.
- "Player Bio: Arsene Oka". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 19 September 2007.
- Cogné, Baptiste (23 November 2021). "Éli Junior, international U16, marche sur les traces de son père Éli Kroupi". Ouest-France (in French). Retrieved 18 April 2023.
- "Nancy - Nice : compo des équipes". ogcnice.com. 22 April 2006. Retrieved 27 February 2024.