Karim Ghezal

ROLE Head Coach

TEAM Lyon Olympique Universitaire

IN CHARGE SINCE Dec 2024

AGE 45

NATIONALITY French

MATCHES 30

Karim Ghezal is the head coach of Lyon, the France lineout coach who arrived as a rescue appointment and lifted the club from 13th to 5th.

AS A PLAYER Second row. Formed at the Stade Toulousain academy, then Beziers, Grenoble, Castres, Montauban, Racing 92 and Lyon. Never capped by France, though he played for the Barbarians francais.

Tenure record

as of 6 Jun 2026

30PLAYED

11WON

1DRAWN

18LOST

36.7%WIN RATE

821 points scored · 900 conceded · -79 difference

RECENT LMontpellier Hérault Rugby25–28 LStade Toulousain31–39 WAviron Bayonnais42–35 LStade Français Paris17–59 WCastres Olympique26–21 LASM Clermont Auvergne23–41

By competition

Top 14 26P · 11W · 1D · 14L

OPPONENT H/A SCORE RESULT

Montpellier Hérault Rugby 6 Jun 2026 H 25–28 L Stade Toulousain 30 May 2026 A 31–39 L Aviron Bayonnais 16 May 2026 H 42–35 W Stade Français Paris 9 May 2026 A 17–59 L Castres Olympique 25 Apr 2026 H 26–21 W ASM Clermont Auvergne 18 Apr 2026 A 23–41 L Union Bordeaux Bègles 28 Mar 2026 H 17–21 L US Arlequins Perpignanais 21 Mar 2026 A 32–28 W RC Toulon 28 Feb 2026 H 13–13 D US Montauban 14 Feb 2026 H 73–12 W Stade Rochelais 31 Jan 2026 A 44–24 W Racing 92 24 Jan 2026 A 34–35 L Section Paloise 3 Jan 2026 H 22–17 W Castres Olympique 27 Dec 2025 A 22–36 L Stade Toulousain 20 Dec 2025 H 19–41 L Aviron Bayonnais 29 Nov 2025 A 20–22 L ASM Clermont Auvergne 22 Nov 2025 H 43–24 W RC Toulon 1 Nov 2025 A 21–54 L Stade Rochelais 25 Oct 2025 H 19–36 L Montpellier Hérault Rugby 18 Oct 2025 A 13–35 L US Arlequins Perpignanais 11 Oct 2025 H 44–19 W Union Bordeaux Bègles 4 Oct 2025 A 20–32 L Section Paloise 27 Sep 2025 A 15–40 L Stade Français Paris 20 Sep 2025 H 42–37 W US Montauban 13 Sep 2025 A 25–18 W Racing 92 6 Sep 2025 H 32–7 W

Challenge Cup 4P · 0W · 0D · 4L

OPPONENT H/A SCORE RESULT

Benetton Treviso 18 Jan 2026 H 19–38 L Fidelity ADT Lions 10 Jan 2026 A 33–42 L Dragons 14 Dec 2025 A 21–23 L Newcastle Red Bulls 6 Dec 2025 H 14–23 L

DATA NOTES

Karim Ghezal has overseen 30 completed Lyon Olympique Universitaire matches in our database since September 2025 — 11 won, 1 drawn, 18 lost. That is a 36.7% win rate, with 821 points scored and 900 conceded.

Records are computed from the WeTalkRugby match database and cover matches we hold data for within this tenure. They are not an official all-time record.

Coaching career

2025- LOU Rugby Head Coach

Honours

2022 Six Nations Grand Slam (France, lineout coach)

Players under Karim Ghezal

Full squad →

Antoine Deliance Forward

Alexandre Tchaptchet Back Arno Botha Forward

Alfred Parisien Back Ave Jonathan Maalo Forward

Arthur Mathiron Back Bartholome Sanson Forward

Baptiste Couilloud Back

Beka Saghinadze Forward

Charlie Cassang Back

Beka Shvangiradze Forward Charly Mignot Back

About Karim Ghezal

Karim Ghezal is the head coach of LOU Rugby, appointed in December 2024 and since extended through the 2027–28 season.

Born in Toulouse in April 1981, he was a second row formed at the Stade Toulousain academy who played for Béziers, Grenoble, Castres, Montauban, Racing 92 and Lyon. He was never capped by France, though he represented the Barbarians français.

France, and the return

He moved straight from playing into the Lyon staff as lineout then forwards coach from 2016, and joined Fabien Galthié’s France set-up as lineout and conquest coach from 2020 to 2023 — part of the staff for the 2022 Grand Slam and the 2023 World Cup. He spent a season as head coach at Stade Français before returning to Lyon.

The rescue job

He arrived in December 2024 on an initial six-month brief with Lyon 13th. He lifted them to fifth and was given a three-year extension by March.

Style

A set-piece and maul specialist and a hard-edged motivator. Lyon players publicly credited him with transforming the side’s aggression and defensive appetite.