Former Crues goalkeeper Yohann Lacroix relishing Olympics role

The goalkeeper, who started out in the professional game with Lille in his homeland of France, joined Crusaders in January 2013 after spells in Greece and Singapore, where he won the league title on two occasions and set a new clean sheet record. Lacroix made his club debut in a 4-0 League Cup final defeat to Cliftonville at Windsor Park and played 11 times in the Danske Bank Premiership during his time at Seaview and a brief loan spell at Ballymena United.

Although still not even 30, Lacroix already had a vision of how life beyond the pitch would look and after completing a Bachelor’s degree while in Singapore, he took the next step by studying a Master’s in Sports Management at the Ulster University Business School.

He became a fan’s favourite during his time in Northern Ireland and although he had the opportunity to stay in the league, a job opportunity with marketing agency CAA Eleven and working for UEFA meant he headed to Switzerland.

“Something which is totally different to anywhere I had played before is that you go to the clubhouse afterwards and you have drinks with the fans,” he said.

“This proximity is so nice and it’s lovely to see how much they care about the club and how much passion they have.

“The players also stay many years at Crusaders and don’t want to go and play for the money say – they really want to stay and play for the club and I really appreciate that stability.

“I had a great time on the pitch playing in some massive games,” he added.

“I remember beating Linfield on Sky Sports at Seaview with the stadium full which was fantastic.

“There is a lot of passion around the game. I was not expecting anything from the football side and my priority was on studying to prepare for after football.

“When I look back at that time yes, I didn’t drink a lot of beers in Belfast and I worked very hard, but it paid off.

“I brought my parents to show them Belfast because I loved my time there so much.

“I remember going to some Carl Frampton fights and I loved that atmosphere, so I followed Carl ever since. It reminds me of a good time in the Odyssey!”

The 36-year-old is still in contact with people at the Irish FA, where he served an internship while studying, and had planned to attend Northern Ireland’s European Championship play-off only for Covid-19 to put a stop to that.

Lacroix, who is the Broadcast & Media Rights Manager at IOC, has had his own professional challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic with the Olympic Games in Tokyo postponed last summer while a cloud of doubt still currently hangs over their staging this year.

Rather than dwelling on the negatives, Lacroix has focused on what the current climate has taught him and he is looking forward.

“Every business has been impacted by the virus but obviously for us it has been a massive challenge to reschedule the Games,” he added.

“My job has changed a little bit and I was recruited to sell TV rights, looking after Europe, Africa and Latin America which are pretty big markets for the IOC.

“We have been working on contracts that were signed in the past and trying to accommodate payment schedules during a difficult time that all partners are in.

“It has been interesting and totally unexpected.

“It’s different to what I love to do but it has been a massive learning experience,” he said.

“The way sports are being consumed is changing drastically so it has also pushed us to look at a different business model to get on more digital platforms to be in touch with the younger audience.

“That’s a challenge but also a nice exercise to be innovative and be in the middle of it.

“It’s a great experience and is very valuable to our future.”

Like most sports enthusiasts, Lacroix grew up watching the Olympic Games, and due to his interest in winter sports, also the Winter Olympics.

All the sacrifice and hard work put in to achieving his goals have paid off, and he admits there is a real thrill in getting to work for perhaps the most recognisable sporting organisation in the world.

“It is an amazing brand,” he added.

“I’m a football fan so working for CAA Eleven and indirectly for UEFA was an incredible experience.

“I was also motivated to show people that I could work outside of football. I’m an Olympic fan and have been watching them every two years because I also love the winter sports.

“Working for the Olympics is incredible and you’re probably working with some of the best people in the business from a marketing point of view.

“The Olympics is different to any other sports property.

“In terms of growth for me and the experience I’m gaining, it’s certainly the place to be for me and I’m enjoying every single moment despite the crisis.”

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