Laurent Koscielny Biography

Laurent Koscielny is vice-captain of the Arsenal team and has been a rock figure in Arsenal’s back line since the 2010/11 season. He has on-the-spot tackling skills and, despite being a defender, has scored some of Arsenal’s vital goals over the years. Beginning his career at Guingamp, he spent his few years playing as a right-back. But due to his love for playing center back he moved to Tours. A stellar performance from Tours FC earned him a move to Arsenal and, as the saying goes, the rest is history. He also participated with the French team in major tournaments such as Euro 2012 and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He was also in the defense line of the French team at Euro 2016 that reached the final of the competition.

Early life and career of Laurent Koscielny

Laurent Koscielny was born on September 10, 1985 in Tulle, France to father Bernand Koscielny . His parents were of Polish nationality. Koscielny played for various youth clubs before moving to Guingamp in 2003.

During his career at Guingamp , he usually played as a right-back. He joined Tours FC in 2007 to play center back. He played 78 games for FC Tours over two seasons scoring eight goals. During the 2008/09 season he was included in the Ligue 2 team of the season.

On June 16, 2009, Koscielny transferred to Lorient on a four-year contract at the reported fee of $2 million. On 7 March 2010, Koscielny scored his first Leauge goal for Orient in a 1–1 draw against Marseille . He stayed with the club for a year and scored three goals helping the team finish in seventh place.

Laurent Koscielny’s professional career

In July 2010 it was confirmed that Koscielny was transferred to English club Arsenal FC for a fee believed to be around $11 million and given the number 6 shirt. Koscielny made his Arsenal debut against Barnet in a pre-season friendly.

He made his league debut against Liverpool in a 1-1 draw. He scored his first goal for Arsenal on 11 September 2010 in a 4–1 win against Bolton Wanderers . He finished his debut season with Arsenal, appearing in 43 games in all competitions. In the 2011/12 season, Koscielny scored his first goal in the Champions League against A.C. milan .

Koscielny scored one of the biggest goals of his career in the 2012/13 season in a game against Newcastle United that was a 1-0 win. That victory secured Arsenal’s qualification in the Champions League finishing fourth in the table. He is currently playing the eighth season of his career at Arsenal, appearing in over 350 games for the Gunners and has scored 24 goals. He won back-to-back FA Cups with Arsenal in 2014 and 2015.

International career of Laurent Koscielny

Koscielny was also eligible to play for Poland, but chose to play for France. He made his first appearance for France on November 11, 2011 in a friendly match against the United States of America. Koscielny was also included in the Euro 2012 squad and played the entire game in a 2–0 loss to Spain.

Although the game ended in defeat, he was voted man of the match by the French media. He made his first World Cup appearance at the 2014 World Cup as a substitute replacing Mamadou Sakho in a 5–2 win against Switzerland. Koscielny scored his first goal for the French team in the international friendly against Scotland in 2016.

Koscielny has appeared 51 times for the French national team and has scored one goal. He was also part of the French team that reached the Euro 2016 final.

The player was set to present his home country at this year’s World Cup in Russia, but unfortunately due to an Achilles tendon injury, he suffered last Thursday that he was ruled out of the World Cup.

Laurent Koscielny Net Worth and Salary

Laurent Koscielny earns approximately $101,603 per week as salary for Arsenal FC. He also earns a good amount of money from endorsement deals with Nike and Puma.

He owns a luxury mansion in London. The estimated net worth of him is around $12 million. His car collection includes Citroen ($23,500) and Mercedes Benz.

Laurent Koscielny’s personal life

Laurent Koscielny is married to his longtime girlfriend Claire Beaudoin . The couple married in 2015. The nuptials were attended by several of their France and Arsenal teammates. However, the press were not allowed to take wedding photos, instead they were sold online for charity. The couple have two children named Maina and Noah Koscielny .

Koscielny’s father, Bernand, emigrated from Poland to France during the Hitler era. His father also played soccer in the fourth division of the French league and later became a coach. He has a 10-year-old older brother who also played once in the French minor league.