{{short description|French footballer (born 1980)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Florent Balmont | image = Krasnodar-Lille (8).jpg | caption = Balmont with Lille in 2014 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1980|2|2|df=y}} | birth_place = Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, France | height = 1.67 m | position = Midfielder | currentclub = | youthyears1 = 1997–2002 | youthclubs1 = Lyon | years1 = 2002–2004 | clubs1 = Lyon | caps1 = 11 | goals1 = 1 | years2 = 2003–2004 | clubs2 = → Toulouse (loan) | caps2 = 34 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2004–2008 | clubs3 = Nice | caps3 = 139 | goals3 = 4 | years4 = 2008–2016 | clubs4 = Lille | caps4 = 253 | goals4 = 7 | years5 = 2016–2020 | clubs5 = Dijon | caps5 = 75 | goals5 = 1 | totalcaps = 512 | totalgoals = 13 | manageryears1 = 2020–2021 | managerclubs1 = Limonest (staff) }}
'''Florent Balmont''' (born 2 February 1980) is a French former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
==Career== Balmont began his career at Lyon in the 2002–03 Ligue 1 season after coming through the junior ranks. In the 2003–04 season, Balmont was sent out on loan to Toulouse making a total of 35 appearances. After returning from loan, Balmont signed with Nice. In his time with Lyon, Balmont won the 2002–03 championship and the 2004 Trophée des Champions, converting his penalty in the latter after the match went to a shoot-out.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ligue1.com/tropheeChampions/feuille_match/49684|title=Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Olympique Lyonnais|publisher=Ligue 1|access-date=12 August 2019|language=fr}}</ref>
Balmont spent four seasons at Nice making 139 appearances before signing with Lille. Balmont won an historic double with the club during the 2010–11 season, making 39 appearances across all competitions as Lille won the Ligue 1 title and the Coupe de France trophy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/news/story/_/id/1512569/lille-florent-balmont-urged-club-stop-selling-prized-players|title=Balmont urges Lille to stop selling|publisher=ESPN|date=3 August 2013|access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref>
In July 2017, Balmont announced he had left Lille to join Dijon, newly promoted to Ligue 1, on a two-year contract.<ref>{{cite news|title=Balmont, de Lille à Dijon|url=http://www.sofoot.com/balmont-de-lille-a-dijon-225951.html|access-date=21 August 2017|work=So Foot|date=8 July 2016|language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.dfco.fr/archives/64543/|title= Florent Balmont est Dijonnais! (in French)|work= www.dfco.fr|date= 8 July 2016|access-date= 11 July 2016|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160713082829/http://www.dfco.fr/archives/64543/|archive-date= 13 July 2016|url-status= dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ligue1.com/joueur/balmont-florent/carriere/|title=Florent Balmont player profile|website=Ligue 1}}</ref>
On 11 May 2019, Balmont made his 500th Ligue 1 appearance in a 2–1 victory over Strasbourg.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lfp.fr/ligue1/article/balmont-500-au-compteur.htm/|title=BALMONT, 500 AU COMPTEUR|website=lfp.fr}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIZOQ5xYNfQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211214/TIZOQ5xYNfQ |archive-date=2021-12-14 |url-status=live|title=Dijon FCO - RC Strasbourg Alsace ( 2-1 ) - Highlights - (DFCO - RCSA) / 2018-19|publisher=Ligue 1 Conforama Official|date=11 May 2019|access-date=12 August 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> With the appearance, he moved up to 21st in the all-time Ligue 1 appearances and leads all active players in that category.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.infos-dijon.com/news/sport/football/500-matchs-en-ligue-1-pour-florent-balmont-c-est-une-grosse-fierte-surtout-avec-la-victoire.html|title=500 matchs en Ligue 1 pour Florent Balmont : "C'est une grosse fierté", surtout avec la victoire|publisher=Infos Dijon|date=12 May 2019|access-date=12 August 2019|language=fr}}</ref>
Balmont announced his retirement from playing in May 2020 and stated his intention to go into coaching.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jay |first1=Edward |title=Sa retraite, son envie d'entraîner... les confidences de Florent Balmont |url=https://rmcsport.bfmtv.com/football/ligue-1/sa-retraite-son-envie-d-entrainer-les-confidences-de-florent-balmont_AV-202005020204.html |website=RMC Sport |access-date=23 February 2021 |language=fr |date=2 May 2020}}</ref> In July 2020, after his retirement, Balmont began his training as a coach, as he was hired as a U-20 coach and member of the first team staff at Championnat National 3 club FC Limonest Dardilly Saint-Didier.<ref>[https://fcldsd.fr/mercato/florent-balmont-rejoint-le-fclsd FLORENT BALMONT REJOINT LE FCLSD]{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, fcldsd.fr, 4 July 2020</ref> He left the club at the end of the season.<ref>[https://www.bienpublic.com/sport/2021/05/31/l-ancien-milieu-du-dfco-florent-balmont-decroche-le-bef L’ancien milieu du DFCO, Florent Balmont, décroche le BEF], bienpublic.com, 31 May 2021</ref>
==Career statistics== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup !colspan="2"|League cup !colspan="2"|Europe !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="3"|Lyon |2002–03<ref name="wf">{{cite web |title=Florent Balmont » Club matches |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/person/pe19926/florent-balmont/club-matches/ |website=worldfootball.net |access-date=23 February 2021}}</ref> |Ligue 1 |9||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||10||0 |- |2004–05<ref name="wf"/> |Ligue 1 |2||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||2||1 |- !colspan="2"|Total !11!!1!!0!!0!!1!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!12!!1 |- |Toulouse (loan) |2003–04<ref name="wf"/> |Ligue 1 |34||0||2||0||1||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||37||0 |- |rowspan="5"|Nice |2004–05<ref name="wf"/> |Ligue 1 |34||4||2||0||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||37||4 |- |2005–06<ref name="wf"/> |Ligue 1 |37||0||0||0||4||1||0||0||colspan="2"|–||41||1 |- |2006–07<ref name="wf"/> |Ligue 1 |32||0||1||0||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||34||0 |- |2007–08<ref name="wf"/> |Ligue 1 |36||0||2||1||2||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||40||1 |- !colspan="2"|Total !139!!4!!5!!1!!8!!1!!0!!0!!0!!0!!152!!6 |- |rowspan="9"|Lille |2008–09<ref name="wf"/> |Ligue 1 |34||0||4||0||1||1||0||0||colspan="2"|–||39||1 |- |2009–10<ref name="wf"/> |Ligue 1 |35||2||0||0||1||0||12||1||colspan="2"|–||48||3 |- |2010–11<ref name="wf"/> |Ligue 1 |27||0||5||0||1||0||6||0||colspan="2"|–||39||0 |- |2011–12<ref name="wf"/> |Ligue 1 |30||2||3||0||2||0||5||0||1{{efn|Appearance in 2011 Trophée des Champions}}||1||41||3 |- |2012–13<ref name="wf"/> |Ligue 1 |34||2||2||1||1||0||7||0||colspan="2"|–||44||3 |- |2013–14<ref name="wf"/> |Ligue 1 |35||0||2||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||37||0 |- |2014–15<ref name="wf"/> |Ligue 1 |30||1||1||0||3||0||10||1||colspan="2"|–||44||2 |- |2015–16<ref name="wf"/> |Ligue 1 |28||0||0||0||3||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||31||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !253!!7!!17!!1!!12!!1!!40!!2!!1!!1!!323!!12 |- |rowspan="5"|Dijon |2016–17<ref name="wf"/> |Ligue 1 |23||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||23||0 |- |2017–18<ref name="wf"/> |Ligue 1 |21||1||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||23||1 |- |2018–19<ref name="wf"/> |Ligue 1 |20||0||4||1||2||0||colspan="2"|–||2{{efn|Appearances in Ligue 1 relegation play-offs}}||0||28||1 |- |2019–20<ref name="wf"/> |Ligue 1 |11||0||4||0||1||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||16||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !75||1||9||1||4||0||0||0||2||0||90||2 |- |Dijon II |2018–19<ref>{{cite web |title=F. Balmont |url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/florent-balmont/1271/ |website=Soccerway |access-date=23 February 2021}}</ref> |National 3 |1||0||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||colspan="2"|–||1||0 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !513!!13!!33!!3!!26!!2!!40!!2!!3!!1!!615!!21 |}
{{notelist}}
==Honours== '''Lyon''' * Ligue 1: 2002–03 * Trophée des Champions: 2004
'''Lille''' * Ligue 1: 2010–11 * Coupe de France: 2010–11
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{LFP|balmont-florent}} * {{ESPN FC|84974}} * {{Soccerway|florent-balmont/1271}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Balmont, Florent}} Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:People from Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon Category:Footballers from Lyon Metropolis Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:French men's footballers Category:Olympique Lyonnais players Category:Toulouse FC players Category:OGC Nice players Category:Lille OSC players Category:Dijon FCO players Category:Ligue 1 players Category:Championnat National 3 players Category:Mediterranean Games bronze medalists for France Category:Mediterranean Games medalists in football Category:Competitors at the 2001 Mediterranean Games Category:21st-century French sportsmen
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