Didier Tholot

Tholot was born in Feurs, Loire, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. After completing his training at INF Vichy in 1984, Tholot signed his first professional contract with Toulon in the first division where he learned the ropes during three years. He was then transferred to Niort where he played for two seasons. In 1990, he was recruited by Reims. In spite of the club's financial difficulties eventually leading to relegation at the end of the season, Tholot scored 14 goals in 34 competitive matches. The following season, he was recruited by Saint-Étienne on a two-year contract but, given less playing time in his second season, moved on to Martigues, who were freshly promoted from Division 2. With 27 goals to his credit over two seasons, he was noticed by Bordeaux to play alongside Zinedine Zidane, Christophe Dugarry and Bixente Lizarazu. With Bordeaux, Tholot's career reached its pinnacle. He scored the first goal of a famous second-leg home comeback victory over the great A.C. Milan of 1996 (3–0). This team went on to reach the final of the 1996 UEFA Cup Final and to play the final of the Coupe de la Ligue the following season, with Tholot then partnering Jean-Pierre Papin up front. Tholot finished the last years of his playing career in Switzerland. First he signed a three-year contract with Sion ahead of the 1997–98 Nationalliga A season under head coach Alberto Bigon. However, for the second half of the season their new coach Jean-Claude Richard loaned him out to English team Walsall,…

Following an auspicious coaching debut at Vevey Sports, Tholot was hired by Sion of the Swiss first division. He then moved on to manage Libourne Saint-Seurin for three seasons, notably achieving promotion to Ligue 2 in his first season. Tholot's next move to Reims was short-lived as he was replaced by Luis Fernández in December 2008. In April 2009 Tholot embarked on his second stint with Sion in order to save the club from the drop. Not only did the team avoid relegation that year but it also won the Swiss Cup. Tholot left the club at the end of the following season. In June 2010, Tholot took on the managerial duties of Châteauroux where, in spite of severe financial restrictions, he managed to keep the club in Ligue 2 for three seasons. He left the club in October 2012. In May 2014, he became assistant manager to Claude Makélélé at first division Bastia. When Makélélé was sacked in November 2008, Tholot declined the top job out of "loyalty". In December 2014, he returned to Sion for a third spell. As in 2009, the club avoided relegation and again won the Swiss Cup against Basel at its opponent's home ground. During the 2015–16 season, Sion qualified for the round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League, making it out of the group stage in a pool also including Liverpool, Bordeaux and Rubin Kazan. Tholot left Sion 12 August 2016. In April 2018, Tholot was appointed manager of Nancy, who were struggling near the bottom of Ligue 2. Although he was successful in saving the club from…

As a player

Bordeaux

UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1995 Coupe de la Ligue runner up:1997

As a manager

Sion

Swiss Cup: 2008–09, 2014–15 UEFA Europa League, qualifying for the last 16: 2015–16 Libourne Saint-Seurin

Promotion to Ligue 2: 2005–06