Benjamin Nivet

Born in Chartres, Nivet started his career as a youth with Auxerre. He made his first league appearances in the 1997–98 season. However, by the end of the following season, he had made only twelve further appearances and was sent on loan to Ligue 2 club Châteauroux for the 1999–2000 season, before making the move permanent for the next season. After establishing himself as a regular for Châteauroux, he made the step back up to Ligue 1 with Troyes in January 2002. Despite a slow start, Nivet established himself as a regular in the club's 2002–03 relegation season. Wearing the number 10 shirt, he proved an eye for goal, weighing in with 12 goals in Troyes' 2005–06 promotion season. He played at Troyes from 2002 to 2007. He signed a three-year contract with Stade Malherbe Caen on 8 June 2007, a club newly promoted to Ligue 1. After five years in Caen, he could not avoid relegation at the end of the 2011–12 season. A free agent, he returned to Troyes, promoted to Ligue 1, signing a one-year contract on 11 June 2012. After four years with Troyes, he could not avoid relegation at the end of the 2015–16 season after a disastrous campaign which saw the club win only three matches and concede some heavy defeats, most notably a resounding 9–0 home loss to PSG, the club's biggest ever victory. On 8 January 2017, Nivet, who had turned 40 just six days before, played his 650th professional match and scored twice against his former club Auxerre in a 4–2 loss in the round of 64 of the…