Gabriel Hanot

Hanot in 1910
Personal information
Date of birth	(1889-11-06)6 November 1889
Place of birth	Arras, France
Date of death	10 August 1968(1968-08-10) (aged 78)
Place of death	Wangenbourg-Engenthal, France
Position(s)	Full back
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1907?–1910?	US Tourcoing FC	?
1910?–1912?	BFC Preussen	?
1912?–1915?	Tourcoing	?
1916?–1919?	AS Francilienne	?
International career
1908–1919	France	12	(3)
Managerial career
1945–1949	France (coach under a committee)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gabriel Hanot (6 November 1889 – 10 August 1968) was a French footballer and journalist (the editor of L'Équipe). The European Cup – which became the UEFA Champions League – was the brainchild of Hanot, as was the Ballon d'Or, an award that honours the male player deemed to have performed the best over the previous year.^[1]

Biography

He made 12 appearances for the France national football team, with his debut coming on 8 March 1908 against Switzerland. He was also part of France's squad for the football tournament at the 1908 Summer Olympics, but he did not play in any matches.^[2] He made another 10 appearances for them up to World War I. After the war he played one more time for France, as captain against Belgium on 9 March 1919.^[3]

Following an aviation accident he gave up football and became a journalist.^[4] He is credited with introducing the professional championship in France, in 1932.^[4]

Hanot and his colleague at L'Équipe Jacques Ferran were the prime movers behind getting the European Cup established.^[5]