Lionel Letizi (born 28 May 1973) is a French former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Early life and club career

France

Lionel Letizi was born on 28 May 1973 in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes. He took his first steps as a professional player with OGC Nice where his team won the French second division in 1994. Upon reaching the French first division he was observed by a number of football clubs before joining FC Metz in 1996. At this new club, he and his team became runner-ups in the French first division in 1998 and finalists of the French League Cup in 1999. The chance to take a step up arrived when he joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2000, which enabled him to play in the UEFA Champions League. He remained first choice at PSG for six years, but the signing of Mickael Landreau instigated his departure.

Move to Scotland

On 16 June 2006, he moved to Rangers on a free transfer. On 13 August, his blunder led directly to a 1–1 draw with Dunfermline. Letizi soon redeemed himself in the next game, which saw Rangers achieve a 2–0 win against the Hearts. Unfortunately for the team, this match resulted in an injury for Letizi. After two months on the sidelines, Letizi controversially made an automatic return to the side despite impressive performances from his replacement Allan McGregor. Manager Paul Le Guen had made it clear at the start of the season that Letizi was going to be number one, which was not entirely unexpected. But the decision was soon put under dubious light when a fumble on the 14 October 2006 gave Inverness Caledonian Thistle an unforeseen 1–0 win at Ibrox Stadium, and left Rangers 10 points behind Celtic after just ten Scottish Premier League matches. After the departure of Le Guen, Letizi's future at Rangers was uncertain and he was released from the club on the 30 January 2007 having featured in just eight matches during his six-month stay. He then played for OGC Nice until his retirement in 2011.

International career

Despite having been capped four times for the France national team, he never managed to displace Fabien Barthez. He was in France's preliminary squad of 28 players for the 1998 FIFA World Cup on home soil, but was left out by head coach Aimé Jacquet just before the tournament began. France went on to win.

Career statistics

Honours

Nice Metz Paris Saint-Germain