Paul Jean François Bernardoni (born 18 April 1997) is a French professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a
goalkeeper
In many team sports that involve scoring goal (sport), goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie, or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or i ...
for
Swiss Super League
The Super League (also known as the Credit Suisse Super League for sponsorship reasons) is a professional association football league in Switzerland and the highest level of the Swiss football league system. It has been played in its current fo ...
club
Yverdon-Sport
Yverdon-Sport FC is a Swiss football club based in Yverdon-les-Bains that is set to compete in the Challenge League, the second tier of Swiss football, after being relegated from the top-tier Swiss Super League in the 2024–25 season. The club ...
.
He began his career with local teams AS Lieusaint and
Linas-Montlhéry Linas and Montlhéry are two communes in the department of Essonne in France.
Linas-Montlhéry may also refer to:
* Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, a motor racing circuit
* ESA Linas-Montlhéry
Entente Sportive et Athlétique de Linas-Montlh ...
, before moving to
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 (, League 2), also known as Ligue 2 BKT due to sponsorship reasons, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Prof ...
side
Troyes
Troyes () is a Communes of France, commune and the capital of the Departments of France, department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within ...
at age 16. After climbing his way through the club's U19 and reserve teams, his first season in the
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de ...
saw him win the starting spot for Troyes, before moving on to
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...
. After his move to the ''Girondins'' was made permanent, Bernardoni spent four years waiting to reclaim his first team place, meanwhile playing with Bordeaux's reserves and going out loan to Clermont and
Nîmes
Nîmes ( , ; ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Gard Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of Southern France. Located between the Med ...
. Following three full seasons at the professional level, he was signed by
Angers
Angers (, , ;) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Duchy of Anjou, Anjou until the French Revolution. The i ...
, who broke their club transfer record with €7.5 million. In 2022, Bernardoni joined
Saint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne (; Franco-Provençal: ''Sant-Etiève''), also written St. Etienne, is a city and the prefecture of the Loire département, in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regi ...
on a six-month loan.
Bernardoni has represented France at the youth levels, from under-17 to under-21, as well as the
Olympic
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...
under-23 level. He has won the
2016 UEFA European Under-19 Championship
The 2016 UEFA European Under-19 Championship was the 15th edition of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship (65th edition if the Under-18 and Junior eras are included), the annual European international youth association football, football champio ...
with the under-19s, beating Italy 4–0 in the final.
Essonne
Essonne () is a department in the southern part of the Île-de-France region in Northern France. It is named after the river Essonne. In 2019, it had a population of 1,301,659, across 194 communes.Linas-Montlhéry Linas and Montlhéry are two communes in the department of Essonne in France.
Linas-Montlhéry may also refer to:
* Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, a motor racing circuit
* ESA Linas-Montlhéry
Entente Sportive et Athlétique de Linas-Montlh ...
.
Troyes
2013–14 season
After 2 years at Linas-Montlhéry, Bernardoni finally left the Île-de-France and moved to
Troyes
Troyes () is a Communes of France, commune and the capital of the Departments of France, department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within ...
, where he quickly made his way to the starting line-up of the club's U19 team. His performances also earned him a spot in the reserve team, thus he ended up playing in both the
Championnat National U19
The Championnat National U19 is the highest tier of under-19 football in France. Organized by the French Football Federation, it is contested by 56 clubs that are split into 4 groups.
History
In 2009, the ''Championnat National 18 ans'' of Fra ...
and the
Championnat de France Amateur 2
The Championnat National 3, commonly referred to as simply National 3 and formerly known as Championnat de France Amateur 2, is a football league competition. The league serves as the fifth division of the French football league system behind ...
Pontarlier
Pontarlier ( ; Latin: ''Ariolica'') is a Communes of France, commune and one of the two Subprefectures in France, sub-prefectures of the Doubs Departments of France, department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in eastern ...
for the league's 21st matchday; the game ended 1-1. Bernardoni's first clean sheet for the team came in the next game, against
Schiltigheim
Schiltigheim (, ; Alsatian: ''Schelige'' ; ) is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
The inhabitants are called ''Schilikois'' in French and ''Scheligemer'' in Alsatian.
It is the largest suburb of the ...
, and he played for the remaining 4 games of the season, with Troyes' reserves finishing 2nd, earning promotion to the
Championnat de France Amateur
The Championnat National 2, commonly known as National 2 and formerly known as Championnat de France Amateur (CFA), is a football league competition. The league serves as the fourth tier of French football league system behind Ligue 1, Ligue 2 ...
. The U19 team finished 8th in their respective league. In July he signed his first 3-year professional contract, until the end of the 2016–17 season, with coach Jean-Marc Furlan citing his status as an international.
2014–15 season
Bernardoni had earned the starting spot under the goalposts for the newly promoted reserves, as he played 21 games in France's fourth division. The 2014–15 season opened on 16 August against Moulins, which Troyes' reserves won 1–0, earning Bernardoni his first clean sheet of the season; he would go on to keep his goal clean a total of 4 times for the reserves. Bernardoni would temporarily lose his position to first team players
Matthieu Dreyer
Matthieu Dreyer (born 20 March 1989) is a French professional footballer who has played as a goalkeeper for club Strasbourg.
Club career
Dreyer began his career in Alsace playing for local club AS Ernolsheim/Bruche. In 2003, he moved to the f ...
and Franck Grandel, before taking their spot on the bench on 29 November, as Troyes faced
Angers
Angers (, , ;) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the Prefectures of France, prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Duchy of Anjou, Anjou until the French Revolution. The i ...
, behind starting man
Denis Petrić
Denis Petrić ( sr-Cyrl, Денис Петрић, ; born 24 May 1988) is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Lens.
Club career
In 2016 Petrić joined Ligue 1 club Angers.
International career
Petrić was born and rai ...
, who kept the net clean, as Troyes went on to win 3–0. Bernardoni was given the number 40 at Troyes, starting with this call-up.
Following his first taste of
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 (, League 2), also known as Ligue 2 BKT due to sponsorship reasons, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Prof ...
action, Bernardoni returned to the number 1 spot on the reserves' team, standing out among a middling side. A second game on the first team's bench against
Gazélec Ajaccio
Gazélec Football Club Ajaccio (), commonly referred to as GFC Ajaccio, GFCA, Gazélec Ajaccio or simply Gazélec (), is a French football club from Ajaccio, Corsica. Founded in 1910, Gazélec played one season in Ligue 1 in the 2015–16 seaso ...
prepared him for his first team and professional debut on 6 March 2015, against Clermont. Troyes won the match 2–0, earning Bernardoni his first clean sheet at a professional level, as well as a call-up on France's national under-18 football team. By the end of the season, though both the U19 side and the reserve team placed a mediocre 10th in their respective leagues, Bernardoni had left his mark as the main side came in first, earning promotion to
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de ...
, and his contract was extended by 2 years, to the end of the 2018–19 season.
2015–16 season
Bernardoni played the opener of Troyes' return to the top flight, due to main man
Denis Petrić
Denis Petrić ( sr-Cyrl, Денис Петрић, ; born 24 May 1988) is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Lens.
Club career
In 2016 Petrić joined Ligue 1 club Angers.
International career
Petrić was born and rai ...
suffering from a strained thigh muscle, as the team drew
Gazélec Ajaccio
Gazélec Football Club Ajaccio (), commonly referred to as GFC Ajaccio, GFCA, Gazélec Ajaccio or simply Gazélec (), is a French football club from Ajaccio, Corsica. Founded in 1910, Gazélec played one season in Ligue 1 in the 2015–16 seaso ...
0–0 on 8 August. Once again, Bernardoni had debuted with a clean sheet; one of only 3 to be recorded by Troyes during the season. Petrić was back for the next game, against
Nice
Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one millionJean-Marc Furlan to shake-up the team by switching the starting line-up around, and Bernardoni returned to the number 1 spot. Starting with the game against
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...
, he would start all subsequent games up to the end of January. During this period, Bernardoni played his first
Coupe de la Ligue
The Coupe de la Ligue (), known outside France as the French League Cup, was a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel. The tournament was established in 1993 and, unlike the Coupe de France ...
game, against
Lille
Lille (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the Deûle river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Prefectures in F ...
on 28 October, which Troyes lost 2–1, being thus knocked out. Bernardoni's presence on the bench of a Ligue 1 team did, however, help him get called up to the U-19 national team.
Coach Furlan's changes didn't prove enough, however, and Troyes remained at the bottom of the table. His replacement with Claude Robin and later
Mohammed Bradja
Mohamed Bradja (born 16 November 1969) is a football coach and former player who is the assistant head coach of Ligue 1 club Troyes. A centre-back, he spent his entire playing career with Troyes. Born in France, he represented Algeria at interna ...
also couldn't save the team, and the January transfer season seemed to be Bernardoni's way off the sinking ship. They heavy defeats kept coming, with the team conceding 4 goals in 4 separate matches and their only victory was on game 22, on January 31, 2016, 3–1 at Lille. This was to be Bernardoni's penultimate game at Troyes, as following next week's 1–0 loss to
Nantes
Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...
, he joined Bordeaux on loan, where he was given the number 1 shirt.
Bordeaux
Initial loan
After
Cédric Carrasso
Cédric Pascal Régis Carrasso (born 30 December 1981) is a French former professional footballer who spent most of his career with Bordeaux and Marseille playing as a goalkeeper. He was also capped once for the France national team.
Club career ...
, who had been Bordeaux's starting goalkeeper for 7 years straight, suffered an ACL rupture near the end of the Winter transfer window, the ''Girondins'' rushed to find a replacement, overlooking second-choice Jérôme Prior. The club chose Bernardoni, who had stood out among last-place Troyes' team, and signed him on loan until the end of the season. Bernardoni played his first game for Bordeaux on February 3, just 3 days after signing his contract, as the team suffered a 3–0 loss to
Lyon
Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
. In fact, heavy losses followed Bernardoni to his new club, as he picked up the ball from the back of the net 4 times each in 4 more separate matches.
As Bordeaux stagnated in the middle of the season, coach
Willy Sagnol
Willy David Frédéric Sagnol (born 18 March 1977) is a French professional football manager and former player who played as a defender. He is currently the manager of the Georgia national team.
Sagnol spent much of his professional career p ...
was eventually sacked, and replaced by former long-time Bordeaux goalkeeper
Ulrich Ramé
Ulrich Jean Eugène Ramé (born 19 September 1972) is a French former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
In a professional career which spanned two decades, he played mainly for Bordeaux (14 seasons), appearing in more than 500 ...
. Ramé immediately reinstated Prior, who had been distanced from the team following an argument with team captain
Lamine Sané
Ludovic Lamine Sané (born 22 March 1987) is a former footballer. He played primarily a centre-back but has also been used as holding midfielder. Born in France, he represented Senegal at international level.
Football career Early career
Sané ...
, after a heavy defeat by Lille at the
Coupe de France
The Coupe de France (), also known in English language, English as the French Cup or less commonly as the France Cup, is the premier Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in French football organised by the French Football Fed ...
round of 16. In fact, Prior was given the starting spot, and Bernardoni finished the season on the bench.
Bordeaux's performances improved as the season came to a close, and the club finished 11th in the
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de ...
. Bernardoni's main club, Troyes, finished at the bottom of the table and were relegated back to
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 (, League 2), also known as Ligue 2 BKT due to sponsorship reasons, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Prof ...
, whilst their reserves were also relegated to
Championnat de France Amateur
The Championnat National 2, commonly known as National 2 and formerly known as Championnat de France Amateur (CFA), is a football league competition. The league serves as the fourth tier of French football league system behind Ligue 1, Ligue 2 ...
, finishing 14th. This led to Bordeaux activating Bernardoni's buying option and a 5-year contract to the end of the 2020–21 season, his transfer costing the club €2.5 million.
2016–17 season
Carrasso's recovery and the arrival of
Jocelyn Gourvennec
Jocelyn François Gourvennec (born 22 March 1972) is a French professional football manager and former player who most recently worked as the head coach of Ligue 1 club Nantes. He played as a midfielder for clubs such as Lorient, Rennes, Nantes, ...
's as head coach resulted in Bernardoni being relegated to Bordeaux's third-in-line goalkeeper, and in fact he played no matches for the first team during the entire season. Instead, he spent most of the season with the club's reserves, who had just been relegated to
Championnat de France Amateur 2
The Championnat National 3, commonly referred to as simply National 3 and formerly known as Championnat de France Amateur 2, is a football league competition. The league serves as the fifth division of the French football league system behind ...
, after many years in the fourth division. He played the reserves' opening game against
Les Herbiers
Les Herbiers () is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region, western France.
Population
Sport
Les Herbiers is host to the Chrono des Nations, an annual one-day individual time trial bicycle race, held in October. Le ...
's reserves on 20 August and kept his first clean sheet of the season on 17 September against
Bressuire
Bressuire (; ; Poitevin: ''Beurseure'') is a commune in the French department of Deux-Sèvres, region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The town is situated on an eminence overlooking the Dolo, a tributary of the Argenton.
Notable buildings
Bressuire ha ...
. He eventually returned to the first team's bench as Carrasso would suffer a hamstring injury on 22 October, against Nancy, and Prior would take his place in the starting 11. Bernardoni stayed with the first team up until Carrasso's return in January, before returning to the reserves and helping them achieve a respectable 4th place, having played a total of 11 games out of 26. Meanwhile, the first team returned to good performances after a mediocre season and placed 6th, qualifying for the Europa League third qualifying round, reaching also the
Coupe de la Ligue
The Coupe de la Ligue (), known outside France as the French League Cup, was a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel. The tournament was established in 1993 and, unlike the Coupe de France ...
semi-finals and the
Coupe de France
The Coupe de France (), also known in English language, English as the French Cup or less commonly as the France Cup, is the premier Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in French football organised by the French Football Fed ...
quarter-finals.
Loan to Clermont
Benoît Costil's arrival at Bordeaux signalled Bernardoni's further sidelining, and despite Carrasso's contract expiring in September (he would later join Turkish side
Galatasaray
Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (, ''Galatasaray Sports Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Galatasaray and familiarly as Cimbom, is a Turkish sports club based on the European side of the city of Istanbul including basketball, wheelchair ...
), Bernardoni sought after a club where he would be the starting goalkeeper. This he found in Ligue 2 side Clermont, whom he joined on a 1-year loan, taking the number 40 shirt.
Bernardoni's season at Clermont turned out to be the most crucial season of his career at the time. The ''Lanciers'' were looking for a replacement, after their starting goalkeeper,
Marc-Aurèle Caillard
Marc-Aurèle Caillard (born 12 May 1994) is a French professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Lille.
Career
After being a regular for the reserves, Caillard made his debut for Monaco in a 2–0 away loss to Reims in Ligue 2. ...
, had left the club for
Guingamp
Guingamp (; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. With a population of 7,115 as of 2020, Guingamp is one of the smallest towns in Europe to have a top-tier professional football team: En Avant Guin ...
, and manager Corinne Diacre chose Bernardoni to play that role. His debut at his new club came on 28 July, against
Paris FC
Paris Football Club (French pronunciation: Help:IPA/French, aʁi futbol klœb, commonly referred to as Paris FC or simply PFC, is a French professional Association football, football club based in Paris, France. They will compete in Ligue ...
, a 0–0 draw, continuing Bernardoni's streak of clean sheets on debuts. Even after her departure and the arrival of Pascal Gastien, he was irreplaceable between the goalposts, as he led the club to a mere breath away from the promotion play-offs, missing out by just 2 points, as Clermont finished 6th. This was Bernardoni's first full season at a club, as he played all 38 games of the season, keeping an impressive 14 clean sheets – his best performance to date, earning him the Ligue 2 Goalkeeper of the Year.
Loan to Nîmes
Prior's departure from Bordeaux seemed to open up a spot behind Costil, yet despite Bernardoni's performance in the previous season, manager
Gus Poyet
Gustavo Augusto Poyet Domínguez (; born 15 November 1967) is a Uruguayan professional football manager and former footballer who is the manager of K League 1 club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.
Poyet played as a midfielder and began his career with s ...
preferred the homegrown
Gaëtan Poussin
Gaëtan Poussin (born 13 January 1999) is a French professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Segunda División club Real Zaragoza.
Club career
Poussin signed his first professional contract with Bordeaux in the fall of 2018. He made ...
. Bernardoni searched for a new club, this time landing a 1-year loan with
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de ...
side
Nîmes
Nîmes ( , ; ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Gard Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of Southern France. Located between the Med ...
, a step up from Clermont.
As Nîmes were a freshly-promoted team to the Ligue 1, manager Bernard Blaquart jumped on the opportunity to sign Bernardoni on loan, sidelining the previous season's starting man, Baptiste Valette. His clean debut streak finally ended, as his first game with the ''Crocodiles'' on 11 August against Angers ended 4–3 to Nîmes. In fact, his first clean sheet wouldn't come until the 7th game, against Guingamp on 26 September, a goalless draw; he would go on to register 9 more. This season also included Bernardoni's first
Coupe de France
The Coupe de France (), also known in English language, English as the French Cup or less commonly as the France Cup, is the premier Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in French football organised by the French Football Fed ...
game, as Nîmes lost 3–0 to Lyon Duchère on 5 January 2019, at the Round of 64. Nîmes placed 9th at the end of the season, 5 places above Bordeaux. Bernardoni had successfully built upon his performance at Clermont, and Bordeaux extended his contract by a further 2 years, to the end of the 2022–23 season.
In the time Bernardoni spent on loan, Costil's position at Bordeaux had been cemented, and he had been given the captain's armband. Thus Bernardoni would have to fight Poussin for a spot on the bench. Seeking to build yet further on his 2 full seasons, and despite his new contract, Bernardoni decided to re-join Nîmes, this time on a 2-year loan, where his starting position was guaranteed.
Bernardoni's second season at Nîmes would prove quite underwhelming. On 11 August, the opener against
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain () or simply PSG, is a French professional Association football, football club based in Paris. They compete in Ligue 1, the French football league system, top d ...
ended in a 3–0 defeat, yet the team's image improved over the next games. However, on a 6 October fixture against Lille, Bernardoni sprained his ankle just before half-time. This would result in him missing 3 matches, his first injury-related absence during his professional career. After his return to the team, Bernardoni would see 10 out of the 16 games remaining ending in defeat, including a 6–0 defeat at the hands of his parent club Bordeaux; this remains his heaviest defeat. Despite this, Bernardoni still managed 6 clean sheets during the season. Ultimately the season would be cut short, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, and so would his loan to Nîmes, who placed 18th and avoided relegation only due their play-off against
Ajaccio
Ajaccio (, , ; French language, French: ; or ; , locally: ; ) is the capital and largest city of Corsica, France. It forms a communes of France, French commune, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Corse-du-Sud, and head o ...
was cancelled.
Angers
The situation at Bordeaux not having changed, Bernardoni sought a permanent move to a different team, where he could have guaranteed playing time, and Bordeaux placed him on the transfer market. Angers came in with an offer of €7.5 million, a record fee for the club, and Bernardoni left Bordeaux after 4.5 years, signing on for 4 years, to the end of the 2023–24 season.
Following
Ludovic Butelle
Ludovic Jean-Luc Butelle (born 3 April 1983) is a French professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Reims.
Club career
Born in Reims, Butelle began his career at Metz, in 2001–02's Ligue 1, appearing in six matches. He became ...
's subpar performances during the 2019–20 season, Angers manager Stéphane Moulin sought a goalkeeper who would replace him, relegating him to the bench. That goalkeeper would be Bernardoni, who debuted once more with a clean sheet, as Angers beat
Dijon
Dijon (, ; ; in Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Digion'') is a city in and the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Côte-d'Or Departments of France, department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in eas ...
1–0 on 22 August. He would go on for a fourth consecutive full season, where he'd register 8 more clean sheets. This season also included Bernardoni's first-ever booking on 1 November, for a foul against Nice. Angers were pushing for a spot in next season's UEFA competitions, up until the middle of the season, but an unfortunate 2nd round would only include 4 wins, and Angers finished a middling 13th. Despite this drop, Bernardoni's performances remained good enough to earn him a call-up for the
2020 Olympic Games
The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...
.
Loan to Saint-Étienne
On 5 January 2022, Bernardoni signed for
Saint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne (; Franco-Provençal: ''Sant-Etiève''), also written St. Etienne, is a city and the prefecture of the Loire département, in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regi ...
on a loan until the end of the season.
Konyaspor
On August 1, 2023, he signed with
Süper Lig
The Süper Lig (, ''Super League''), also known as Trendyol Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Turkey and the highest level of the Turkish football league system. In the 2023–2024 season, twen ...
club
Konyaspor
Konyaspor Kulübü (, Konya Sports Club), commonly referred to as Konyaspor, is a Turkish professional football club based in Konya, one of the largest cities in central Anatolia. Due to sponsorship agreements, the club is also officially known ...
.
Yverdon-Sport
In January 2024, Bernardoni joined
Swiss Super League
The Super League (also known as the Credit Suisse Super League for sponsorship reasons) is a professional association football league in Switzerland and the highest level of the Swiss football league system. It has been played in its current fo ...
club
Yverdon-Sport
Yverdon-Sport FC is a Swiss football club based in Yverdon-les-Bains that is set to compete in the Challenge League, the second tier of Swiss football, after being relegated from the top-tier Swiss Super League in the 2024–25 season. The club ...
on a contract until the end of the season.
International career
Under-17 national team
Bernardoni's first call-up came thanks to his performances with
Troyes
Troyes () is a Communes of France, commune and the capital of the Departments of France, department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within ...
' U19 team during the 2013–14 season. As the
France national under-17 football team
The France national under-17 football team is the national under-17 football team of France who will be playing in the UEFA European Championship this year controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the annual UEFA Europ ...
played through the qualifying round of the
2014 UEFA European Under-17 Championship
The 2014 UEFA European Under-17 Championship was the 13th edition of the UEFA European Under-17 Championship, an annual football competition between men's under-17 national teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament was hosted for the first time ...
in October 2013, Bernardoni was called up by Laurent Guyot, alongside
Rennes
Rennes (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany (administrative region), Brittany Regions of F ...
' Romain Cagnon. He played all 3 of the team's matches, as France beat
Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein (, ; ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein ( ), is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked, doubly landlocked Swiss Standard German, German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east ...
2–0 on 22 October and the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
3–0 on the 27th, earning Bernardoni his first national team clean sheets, having drawn 2–2 with hosts
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
on the 24th. France finished 1st in Group 2, and thus qualified for the next round.
The elite round was held in March 2014, and Bernardoni was again called up. Once more, he would play all 3 games, as France beat
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
3-0 and
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
2–1, but qualification to the final phase of the tournament was lost to the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
, hosts of Group 3, who beat France 3–1.
Under-18 national team
Bernardoni's "graduation" to the reserve team couldn't be paired with a similar "graduation" to the under-19 team, and he had to go through the transitional
France national under-18 football team
The France national under-18 football team is the national under-18 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The under-18 team typically participated in friendly matches and tournaments, such as the Lafarge F ...
, where he'd play 5 friendly games.
Under-19 national team
As a Ligue 1 player, Bernardoni was one of the favourites to be called up by
Ludovic Batelli
Ludovic Batelli (born 24 May 1963) is a French football manager and former professional player who manages SC Toulon. Under his management, the France U19 national team won their ninth European U19 title, defeating his ancestry homeland team It ...
, as the
France national under-19 football team
The France national under-19 football team is the national under-19 football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in the annual UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship. They were the 2010 UEF ...
played through the
2016 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification
The 2016 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification was a men's under-19 football competition organised by UEFA to determine the seven national teams joining the automatically qualified hosts Germany in the 2016 UEFA European Under-19 Champ ...
. This was confirmed and Bernardoni was joined by
Nantes
Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...
' Quentin Braat. France hosted Group 10, where they placed a comfortable 1st, after beating
Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein (, ; ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein ( ), is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked, doubly landlocked Swiss Standard German, German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east ...
3–1 on 7 October and
Gibraltar
Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...
9-0 2 days later, a match which Bernardoni sat out in favour of Braat. He was back, however, for the next match on 12 October, which ended a 1–1 draw with the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
.
Bernardoni was back for the elite round, which saw France cruise through Group 7, with an aggregate goal difference of 6 for, 0 against. This translated to 3 clean sheets for Bernardoni, who successfully defended his net against
Montenegro
, image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg
, coa_size = 80
, national_motto =
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map = Europe-Mont ...
on 24 March,
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
2 days later, and hosts
Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
on the 29th, 1–0, 4–0, and 1–0, respectively.
For the
final tournament
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
in July, Bernardoni would once again be the starting goalkeeper. In the group stage, France started off on the wrong foot, losing 1–2 to
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
on the 12th, however they immediately bounced back, beating
Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
with a score of 2–0 on the 15th and the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
with a staggering 5–1 on the 18th.
On the 21st, France played
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
for the semi-final. Portugal took a 3rd-minute lead from a set piece, but France managed to come back, thanks to 2 goals and 1 assist by
Kylian Mbappé
Kylian Mbappé Lottin (born 20 December 1998) is a French professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward for club Real Madrid CF, Real Madrid and Captain (association football), captains ...
. The final on the 24th against
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
was a different story, as France was the team to take an early lead, which was then extended to a 4–0 victory, as France became European champions, earning Bernardoni his first title.
Under-20 national team
Coach Batelli followed a season-by-season progression from U-18s to U-20s, and this allowed him to take Bernardoni on the same path, especially after he played an important part in winning the
UEFA European Under-19 Championship
The UEFA European Under-19 Championship, or simply the Euro Under-19, is an annual football competition, contested by the European men's under-19 national teams of the UEFA member associations.
Spain is the most successful team in this competit ...
the previous year, with which France had qualified for the
2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup
The 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the 21st edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, the biennial international men's youth football championship contested by the under-20 national teams of the member associations of FIFA, since its inception in 1977 a ...
in South Korea. In a constant back-and-forth with
Toulouse
Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...
's
Alban Lafont
Alban Marc Lafont (born 23 January 1999) is a professional footballer who plays as goalkeeper for Greek Super League club Panathinaikos, on loan from club Nantes. Born in Burkina Faso, he represents France at international level.
Having progr ...
, he sat out on the Group E opener on 22 May against
Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...
, which France won 3–0, but played in the following matches, each 3 days apart, against
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
and
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
, which France won 4-0 and 2–0, respectively. He returned to the bench on the 1 June round of 16 game against
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, which France lost 1–2 to the eventual 3rd-place winners.
Under-21 national team
Bernardoni kept moving upwards, as Sylvain Ripoll called him up to the
France national under-21 football team
The France national under-21 football team (), known in France as ''Les Espoirs'' (, ''The Hopes''), is the national under-21 Association football, football team of France and is controlled by the French Football Federation. The team competes in ...
for the
2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification
The 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying competition was a men's under-21 football competition that determined the 11 teams joining the automatically qualified hosts Italy in the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship final tourn ...
tournament. For the first games, he was on the bench behind
Strasbourg
Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...
's Bingourou Kamara, before playing in the 11 September game against
Bulgaria
Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
, which France won 3–0, earning Benrardoni yet another clean sheet on a debut. He would keep his starting spot through the entirety of the remainder of the tournament. France would top Group 9 undefeated, with Bernardoni keeping 4 more clean sheets. Bernardoni would also stay in the starting line-up throughout most of the preparatory friendlies, before the
2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship
The 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship (also known as UEFA Under-21 Euro 2019) was the 22nd edition of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship (25th edition if the Under-23 era is also included), the biennial international youth association ...
in Italy. At the tournament itself, he retained his position, ahead of Brest's Gautier Larsonneur and
Sochaux
Sochaux () is a commune in the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France.
Geography
Sochaux lies east of Montbéliard, and southeast of Paris.
Population
Inhabitants are known as ''Sochaliens''.
Economy
...
's
Maxence Prévot
Maxence Prévot (born 9 April 1997) is a French professional footballer who plays for OH Leuven in the Belgian Pro League as a goalkeeper
In many team sports that involve scoring goal (sport), goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goalten ...
, who had also been on the bench during the later qualifying games. France were drawn into Group C, and won the 18 June opening game against
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
2-1 and the subsequent game, three days later, against
Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
1–0, before drawing 0–0 against
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
on the 24th. Romania's better goal difference gave them superiority in the tiebreaker, and France finished second in the group, only proceeding to the Knockout Stage as the best second-placed team. In the 27 June semi-final against
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
France took an early lead, thanks to a
Jean-Philippe Mateta
Jean-Philippe Mateta (; born 28 June 1997) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Crystal Palace.
Mateta began his career with Châteauroux before signing for Ligue 1 side Lyon in 2016. Following a successful loan ...
penalty, but Spain had turned it around 2-1 by half-time. The second half would see Spain increasing the scoreline to 4–1, knocking out France, before going on to win the tournament.
Under-23 national team
France's participation in the
2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship
The 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship (also known as UEFA Under-21 Euro 2019) was the 22nd edition of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship (25th edition if the Under-23 era is also included), the biennial international youth association ...
knockout stage earned them qualification to the
2020 Tokyo Olympics
The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...
, and coach Ripoll called Bernardoni up once more, alongside Saint-Étienne's Stefan Bajic and
Montpellier
Montpellier (; ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of France, department of ...
's
Dimitry Bertaud
Dimitry Jean Sylvain Bertaud Yaka (born 6 June 1998) is a French-Congolese professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for club Montpellier HSC, Montpellier and the DR Congo nationa ...
.
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
were drawn into Group 1, alongside hosts
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
,
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
, and
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
. On the 22 July opener against Mexico, France were thrashed 4–1, making qualification to the quarter-finals very difficult. 3 days later, against South Africa, it took an
André-Pierre Gignac
André-Pierre Christian Gignac (born 5 December 1985) is a French professional footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward.
Gignac began his career in his home Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône, playi ...
hat-trick and a 93rd-minute
Téji Savanier
Téji Tedy Savanier (born 22 December 1991) is a French professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for club Montpellier.
Formed at Montpellier, where he only made the reserve team in his first spell, he began his professional ...
goal to keep France in the runs for qualification, as South Africa kept taking the lead in a staggering second half, which saw 7 goals after a clean first 45 minutes, for a final French win with a scoreline of 4–3. The heavy defeat and last-minute victory meant that France had to beat Japan by a margin of at least 2 goals, if they were to proceed to the knockout stage. Instead, Japan won with a scoreline of 3–0, knocking France out of the tournament.
Career statistics
Honours
Troyes
*
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 (, League 2), also known as Ligue 2 BKT due to sponsorship reasons, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Prof ...
UEFA European Under-19 Championship
The UEFA European Under-19 Championship, or simply the Euro Under-19, is an annual football competition, contested by the European men's under-19 national teams of the UEFA member associations.
Spain is the most successful team in this competit ...
:
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...