# Paul Zeiger

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**Paul Marie Joseph Zeiger** (8 September 1881 – 18 February 1959) was a French [footballer](/source/Association_football) who played as a [midfielder](/source/Midfielder) for [Racing Club de France](/source/Racing_Club_de_France_Football), [US Parisienne](/source/US_Parisienne), and the [French national team](/source/France_national_football_team) in the early 20th century.

## Career

Born in [3rd arrondissement of Lyon](/source/3rd_arrondissement_of_Lyon) on 8 September 1881,[1][a] Zeiger was already playing in the first team of [United SC](/source/United_SC_(1894)) as early as April 1897, aged 15.[2] On 31 March 1901, he started in the final of the 1901 [Coupe Dewar](/source/Coupe_Dewar), which ended in a 3–0 loss to [Standard AC](/source/Standard_Athletic_Club).[3] Together with [Pierre Allemane](/source/Pierre_Allemane), [André Puget](/source/Andr%C3%A9_Puget_(footballer)), the Matthey brothers (Fernand and [Raoul](/source/Raoul_Matthey)), and [captain](/source/Captain_(association_football)) [Alfred Tunmer](/source/Alfred_Tunmer), Zeiger was a member of the Racing team that reached back-to-back finals of the [USFSA Football Championship](/source/USFSA_Football_Championship) in [1902](/source/1902_USFSA_Football_Championship) and [1903](/source/1903_USFSA_Football_Championship), both of which ending in losses to [RC Roubaix](/source/RC_Roubaix).[4]

Nicknamed "the Walking Frog," Zeiger had a bad habit of arriving late to his games.[citation needed] Zeiger was playing for US Parisienne when he earned his first (and only) international [cap](/source/Cap_(association_football)) for France in a [friendly match](/source/Friendly_(association_football)) against [Belgium](/source/Belgium_national_football_team) at [Uccle](/source/Uccle) on 21 April 1907, helping his side to a 2–1 win; France's first-ever away victory.[1][5][6] He had to wait over a year for his next chance to wear the shirt of France, when the [USFSA](/source/Union_des_Soci%C3%A9t%C3%A9s_Fran%C3%A7aises_de_Sports_Athl%C3%A9tiques) selected him for the [would-be France C squad](/source/Football_at_the_1908_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Men's_team_squads#France_C) that was originally listed to compete in the [football tournament](/source/Football_at_the_1908_Summer_Olympics) of the [1908 Olympic Games](/source/1908_Olympic_Games), but Zeiger ended up not traveling to [London](/source/London) because the USFSA decided to send only two instead of three teams.[7]

In 1908, Zeiger was a member of the US Parisienne squad that participated in the [Torneo Internazionale Stampa Sportiva](/source/Torneo_Internazionale_Stampa_Sportiva), where they faced two clubs from [Turin](/source/Turin): [Torino](/source/Torino_F.C.) and [Juventus](/source/Juventus_F.C.).[8] In 1909, he moved to [Gallia Club](/source/Gallia_Club_Paris), and on 8 May 1910, he started in the final of the [1910 Coupe Dewar](/source/1910_Coupe_Dewar) at the [Stade de Charentonneau](/source/Stade_de_Charentonneau), which ended in a 3–1 loss to [CA Paris](/source/CA_Paris-Charenton).[9]

## Later life and death

During the [First World War](/source/First_World_War), Zeiger was incorporated into the 406th Infantry Regiment,[10] fighting twice on the [Somme](/source/Somme_(department)), twice at [Verdun](/source/Verdun), and was wounded three times in total, the last time seriously in the right arm, requiring a ligature of the [humeral bone](/source/Humerus).[citation needed]

Zeiger died in [16th arrondissement of Paris](/source/16th_arrondissement_of_Paris) on 18 February 1959, at the age of 77.[1]

## Honours

**Racing Club de France**

- [USFSA Football Championship](/source/USFSA_Football_Championship) runner-up: [1902](/source/1902_USFSA_Football_Championship), [1903](/source/1903_USFSA_Football_Championship)
- [Dewar Cup](/source/Dewar_Cup) runner-up: [1901](/source/1901_Dewar_Cup)

**Gallia Club**

- Dewar Cup runner-up: [1910](/source/1910_Dewar_Cup)

## Notes

1. Some sources wrongly state that he was born on 1 January 1887.[5]

## References

1. ["Paul Zeiger, international footballer"](https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=23370). *eu-football.info*. Retrieved 24 November 2024.

1. ["Championnat de France"](https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k8331607f/f4.item.r=zeiger.zoom) [French Championship] (in French). *gallica.bnf.fr*. [Tous les sports](/source/Tous_les_sports). 5 April 1897. p. 4. Retrieved 28 July 2025.

1. ["Finale de la Coupe Shériff-Dewar"](https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k46244487/f3.item.zoom) [Sheriff-Dewar Cup Final] (in French). *gallica.bnf.fr*. [L'Auto](/source/L'%C3%89quipe). 1 April 1901. p. 7. Retrieved 24 November 2024.

1. ["Football association - Championnat de France"](https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k4625435x/f7.item.zoom) [Association Football - French Championship] (in French). *gallica.bnf.fr*. [L'Auto](/source/L'%C3%89quipe). 20 April 1902. p. 7. Retrieved 24 November 2024.

1. ["Paul Zeiger"](https://www.fff.fr/equipe-nationale/joueur/10105-zeiger-paul/fiche.html) (in French). *www.fff.fr*. Retrieved 24 November 2024.

1. ["21 avril 1907, première victoire de l’équipe de France à l’extérieur"](https://www.chroniquesbleues.fr/21-avril-1907-premiere-victoire-exterieur) [21 April 1907, first away victory for the French team] (in French). *www.chroniquesbleues.fr*. 26 March 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2024.

1. ["Football Tournament 1908 Olympiad - Squad Lists"](https://www.rsssf.org/tableso/ol1908f-det.html#sq). [RSSSF](/source/RSSSF). 8 September 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.

1. ["Torneo Internazionale Stampa Sportiva 1908 (Torino)"](https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/stampa1908.html). [RSSSF](/source/RSSSF). 13 November 2004. Retrieved 24 November 2024.

1. ["Le Cercle Athlétique de Paris gagne la Coupe Dewar"](https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k4625699j/f7.image) [The Cercle Athlétique de Paris wins the Dewar Cup] (in French). *gallica.bnf.fr*. [L'Auto](/source/L'%C3%89quipe). 9 May 1910. p. 7. Retrieved 30 November 2024.

1. ["La Vie Sportive - Coupe du 406e d'infanterie"](https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k571522z/f5.item.r=(prOx:%20%22zeiger%22%2010%20%22international%22).zoom) [The Sporting life - 406th Infantry Cup] (in French). *gallica.bnf.fr*. [Le Matin](/source/Le_Matin_(France)). 27 January 1916. Retrieved 24 November 2024.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Paul Zeiger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Zeiger) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Zeiger?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.