Robin Le Normand

1. Early Life and Youth Career

Robin Le Normand was born on November 11, 1996, in Pabu, a commune located in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany, France. He spent his formative years in football within the youth systems of French clubs. He was part of Lamballe FC in 2011 before joining the youth ranks of Brest from 2011 to 2015. His dedication during these years laid the groundwork for his professional career.

2. Club Career

Le Normand's club career began in France before he made a significant move to Spain, where he developed into a prominent defender.

2.1. Brest

Le Normand made his senior debut for the Brest reserve team on September 21, 2013, starting in a 1-0 away loss against Lannion FC in the CFA 2. He scored his first senior goal on March 19, 2016, contributing his team's third goal in a 3-3 draw against Fougères. His professional debut for the Brest first team occurred on April 15, 2016, when he started in a 2-1 away loss to Sochaux in Ligue 2. This single first-team appearance marked the end of his time at the club before he sought new opportunities in Spain.

2.2. Real Sociedad

On July 5, 2016, Le Normand signed a two-year contract with Spanish club Real Sociedad, where he was initially assigned to their B-team, Real Sociedad B, which competed in Segunda División B. His consistent performances led to a new two-year contract extension in August 2018.

He made his first-team and La Liga debut on November 26, 2018, starting in a 2-1 home victory against Celta Vigo. On February 12, 2019, he renewed his contract with the Txuri-urdin_{white and blue}^Basque until 2022, and was officially promoted to the main squad on June 9 of the same year. Following the departure of Héctor Moreno, Le Normand became an integral part of Real Sociedad's starting lineup. He scored his first La Liga goal on November 30, 2019, opening the scoring in a 4-1 home win against Eibar. His strong performances were recognized with another contract extension until 2024 on June 4, 2020.

Le Normand also made significant contributions in the Copa del Rey. On December 19, 2019, he scored in an 8-0 away victory against CD Becerril in the first round of the competition. He played a crucial role in the 2020 Copa del Rey Final, which was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and played on April 3, 2021. Real Sociedad defeated their Basque derby rivals Athletic Bilbao 1-0, securing the trophy.

His individual achievements were also recognized when he was named La Liga Player of the Month for October 2021, becoming the first defender to receive the award since Diego Godín of Atlético Madrid in 2014. In the 2021-22 season, Le Normand played in 48 out of 51 matches, missing only one league game due to suspension, demonstrating his durability and importance to the team. His impressive form led to another contract extension until 2026 on July 20, 2022.

Le Normand training with Real Sociedad in 2018

2.3. Atlético Madrid

On July 27, 2024, Atlético Madrid announced an agreement with Real Sociedad for the transfer of Robin Le Normand. He officially became an Atlético Madrid player on August 3, signing a five-year contract. Le Normand made his debut for the club on August 19, 2024, in a 2-2 draw against Villarreal in a league match.

3. International Career

Le Normand's international career took a significant turn when he gained Spanish nationality, allowing him to represent the Spanish national team in major tournaments.

3.1. Nationality and Debut

In May 2023, after residing in Spain for nearly seven years, the Spanish Council of Ministers granted Robin Le Normand Spanish nationality. This made him eligible to play for the Spanish national team. On June 2, he was included in Spain's 23-man squad for the UEFA Nations League Finals. He made his international debut 13 days later, on June 15, starting in central defense alongside another naturalized Frenchman, Aymeric Laporte, in Spain's 2-1 semi-final victory over Italy.

3.2. Major Tournaments

Le Normand started in the 2023 UEFA Nations League Final on June 18, 2023, where Spain defeated Croatia in a penalty shootout to claim their first Nations League title. On November 19, 2023, he scored his first international goal for Spain in their final UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier, a 3-1 win over Georgia, with the goal coming in the 4th minute from an assist by Ferran Torres.

In June 2024, Le Normand was named in Spain's squad for the UEFA Euro 2024 finals in Germany. He started the team's first group match, playing the full game in central defense as Spain secured a 3-0 victory over Croatia at Berlin's Olympiastadion. Le Normand, along with the rest of the squad, became European champions when Spain defeated England 2-1 in the UEFA Euro 2024 final.

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup		Europe		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Brest II	2013-14	CFA 2	7	0	-		-		-		7	0
	2014-15	CFA 2	13	0	-		-		-		13	0
	2015-16	CFA 2	19	2	-		-		-		19	2
	Total		39	2	-		-		-		39	2
Brest	2015-16	Ligue 2	1	0	0	0	-		-		1	0
Real Sociedad B	2016-17	Segunda División B	26	1	-		-		-		26	1
	2017-18	Segunda División B	38	2	-		-		-		38	2
	2018-19	Segunda División B	18	1	-		-		-		18	1
	Total		82	4	-		-		-		82	4
Real Sociedad	2018-19	La Liga	4	0	3	0	-		-		7	0
	2019-20	La Liga	31	1	8	1	-		-		39	2
	2020-21	La Liga	33	0	2	0	7	0	1	0	43	0
	2021-22	La Liga	37	1	4	0	7	1	-		48	2
	2022-23	La Liga	33	0	4	0	4	0	-		41	0
	2023-24	La Liga	29	2	7	0	7	0	-		43	2
	Total		167	4	28	1	25	1	1	0	221	6
Atlético Madrid	2024-25	La Liga	15	0	4	0	3	0	0	0	22	0
Career total			304	10	32	1	28	1	1	0	365	12