Gabriel Hanot

Gabriel Hanot (6 November 1889 Arras – 10 August 1968) was a French association football player and journalist (the editor of L'Équipe).

Educated in Berlin, Hanot spoke fluent German and English and travelled widely. He made 12 appearances for the France national football team as a left winger, but following an aviation accident he gave up football and became a journalist. After World War II, Hanot served as both coach of France and a journalist for L'Équipe and France Football. The dual roles created a celebrated complication: after his France side was humiliated in a loss to Spain in 1949, Hanot, the journalist, wrote a withering criticism of his players' performance, and followed this the next day by submitting an unsigned editorial calling for the resignation of Hanot the coach. A day later Hanot, the coach, resigned. Hanot never tried to combine both roles again.

Although an excellent player, Hanot is today primarily remembered for a series of innovations that helped created modern European Football as it is known and played today. Hanot was a leading figure in professionalising the game (introduced in France in 1932). Hanot was solely responsible for the creation of the Ballon d'Or award, the most prestigious individual award in European Club Football.

Hanot and his colleague at L'Equipe Jacques Ferran were the prime movers behind getting the UEFA European Cup established.

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