{{short description|French footballer (1924–1997}} {{Distinguish|Jean-Michel Jacques}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Michel Jacques | image = | image_size = | caption = | full_name = Michel Albert Georges Jacques | birth_date = {{birth date|1924|01|09|df=yes}} | birth_place = Sochaux, France | death_date = {{death date and age|1997|03|01|1924|01|09|df=yes}} | death_place = Montbéliard, France | height = 1.70m<ref name=Gagne/><ref name=Player/> | position = Forward | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | years1 = 1942–1943 | clubs1 = Sochaux-Montbéliard | caps1 = | goals1 = | years2 = 1943–1944 | clubs2 = Nancy-Lorraine | caps2 = | goals2 = | years3 = 1944–1945 | clubs3 = Rouen | caps3 = | goals3 = | years4 = 1945–1950 | clubs4 = Sochaux-Montbéliard | caps4 = | goals4 = | years5 = 1950–1952 | clubs5 = Strasbourg | caps5 = | goals5 = | years6 = 1952–1957 | clubs6 = Racing Besançon | caps6 = | goals6 = | years7 = 1957–1958 | clubs7 = Pays d'Aix | caps7 = | goals7 = | totalcaps = | totalgoals = | nationalteam1 = France | nationalyears1 = 1944 | nationalcaps1 = 1 | nationalgoals1 = 0 }} '''Michel Albert Georges Jacques''' (9 January 1924 – 1 March 1997) was a French footballer who played as a forward for Sochaux-Montbéliard in the 1940s.<ref name=Gagne>{{cite web |url=https://www.pari-et-gagne.com/joueur/michel_jacques.html |title=Michel Jacques - Fiche de stats du joueur de football |trans-title=Michel Jacques - Football Player Stats Sheet |language=fr |website=www.pari-et-gagne.com |access-date=20 April 2025}}</ref><ref name=Player>{{cite web |url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/29228/Michel_Jacques.html |title=Michel Jacques (Player) |website=www.national-football-teams.com |access-date=20 April 2025}}</ref><ref name=FFF>{{cite web |url=https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/7002-jacques-michel/fiche.html |title=Michel Jacques |language=fr |website=www.fff.fr |access-date=20 April 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/person/pe99799/michel-jacques/ |title=Michel Jacques |website=www.worldfootball.net |access-date=20 April 2025}}</ref><ref name=Racing>{{cite web |url=https://racingstub.com/persons/374/ |title=Michel Jacques |language=fr |website=racingstub.com |access-date=20 April 2025}}</ref> He also made one appearance for the French national team in 1944.<ref name=EU>{{cite web |url=https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=9229 |title=Michel Jacques, international footballer |website=eu-football.info |access-date=20 April 2025}}</ref>

==Playing career== ===Club career=== Born on 9 January 1924 in the Doubs town of Sochaux, Jacques began his football career at his hometown club Sochaux-Montbéliard in 1942, aged 18.<ref name=Gagne/><ref name=Player/><ref name=Racing/> Together with Georges Sesia, Roger Guérin, and Roger Magnin, he was a member of the short-lived Nancy-Lorraine federal team that won the 1944 Coupe de France final against Reims-Champagne at the Parc des Princes on 7 May, scoring his side's third goal in an eventual 4–0 victory.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.om4ever.com/CoupeFrance/1940/Coupe1943-1944.html |title=Saison 1943-1944 Nancy-Lorraine Vainqueur |trans-title=1943-1944 Season Nancy-Lorraine Winner |language=fr |website=www.om4ever.com |access-date=20 April 2025}}</ref> After the final, the 20-year-old Jacques stated that "he had the most beautiful day of his life".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k46438535/f1.item.r=jacques.zoom |title="Notre meilleur match de la saison" se félicitent les Lorrains |trans-title="Our best match of the season" congratulate the Lorrainers |language=es |website=gallica.bnf.fr |publisher=L'Auto |page=1 |date=8 May 1944 |access-date=20 April 2025 }}</ref>

After a short stint with Rouen (1944–45), Jacques returned to Sochaux-Montbéliard, remaining there for five seasons, until 1950, four in the top-flight and one in the second division (1946–47).<ref name=Gagne/><ref name=Player/> In 1950, he signed for Strasbourg, where he had an imidiate impact, because in his first season at the club, they won the Coupe de France, beating Valenciennes 3–0 in the final.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.om4ever.com/CoupeFrance/1950/Coupe1950-1951.html |title=Saison 1943-1944 Nancy-Lorraine Vainqueur |trans-title=1943-1944 Season Nancy-Lorraine Winner |language=fr |website=www.om4ever.com |access-date=20 April 2025}}</ref> On the following day, the journalists of ''L'Équipe'' described him as a "hard-working and unrepentant left-winger", who "deserves the citation for his constant activity in all situations; it is a shame he lacks the use of his right foot".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bd6t51014962/f8.image.r=jacques.zoom |title=Gabriel Hanot juge les joueurs |trans-title=Gabriel Hanot judges the players |language=es |website=gallica.bnf.fr |publisher=L'Équipe |page=8 |date=7 May 1951 |access-date=20 April 2025 }}</ref>

After leaving Strasbourg in 1952, Jacques joined Racing Besançon, with whom he played for five years, until 1957, when he moved to Pays d'Aix, where he retired in 1958, aged 34.<ref name=Gagne/><ref name=Player/><ref name=FFF/> In total, he scored 57 goals in 172 matches in Ligue 1.<ref name=Gagne/>

===International career=== On 23 March 1947, the 23-year-old Jacques earned his first (and only) international cap for France in a friendly match against Portugal at the Colombes, helping his side keep a clean-sheet in a 1–0 win.<ref name=EU/><ref name=Racing/> He later stated that he was so nervous when he walked into the field that "You could have cracked nuts with my legs".<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.chroniquesbleues.fr/Bleus-ephemeres-une-histoire |title=Bleus éphémères: une histoire de l’équipe de France par les marges |trans-title=Ephemeral Blues: A History of the French Team from the Margins |language=fr |website=www.chroniquesbleues.fr |date=14 October 2021 |access-date=20 April 2025}}</ref> After the match, Gaston Barreau, the national team manager, publicly stated that Jacques lacked maturity<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bd6t5100070k/f3.image.r=jacques.zoom |title=La France a dominé le Portugal mais a rate des occasions! |trans-title=France dominated Portugal but missed opportunities! |language=es |website=gallica.bnf.fr |publisher=L'Équipe |page=3 |date=24 March 1947 |access-date=20 April 2025 }}</ref>

==Death== Michel Jacques died in Montbéliard on 1 March 1997, at the age of 73.<ref name=Player/><ref name=EU/>

==Honours== <ref name=Gagne/><ref name=FFF/><ref name=Racing/> ;Reims-Champagne *Ligue 1: **'''Champions (1)''': 1944

;RC Strasbourg **'''Champions (1)''': 1951

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jacques, Michel}} Category:1924 births Category:1997 deaths Category:French men's footballers Category:Men's association football goalkeepers Category:France men's international footballers Category:Footballers from Doubs Category:FC Sochaux-Montbéliard players Category:FC Rouen players Category:RC Strasbourg Alsace players Category:20th-century French sportsmen