Earvin N'Gapeth (born 12 February 1991) is a French volleyball player, member of the France national volleyball team and Iranian club Paykan Tehran VC, 2015 European Champion, gold medallist of the World League (2015 and 2017), French Champion (2010), Italian Champion (2016) and Olympic Champion (2020).
Earvin N'Gapeth | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nationality | ![]() | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | (1991-02-12) 12 February 1991 (age 31) Saint-Raphaël, France | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 96 kg (212 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Spike | 358 cm (141 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Block | 327 cm (129 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Volleyball information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Outside hitter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current club | ![]() | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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His father Éric, from Cameroon, is a former volleyball player who represented France in the 1980s. His father named him after Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Growing up, he played youth football alongside current Paris Saint-Germain defender Layvin Kurzawa when the pair lived in Fréjus.[1]
Ngapeth is a model and brand ambassador for Adidas.[2]
In December 2014, he was sentenced to three months suspended imprisonment by the Criminal Court of Montpellier for a fight in a nightclub in the city a few months earlier. In July 2015, he was arrested and heard in an open hearing by the police following the assault of a TGV train ticket inspector in the Paris-Montparnasse train station.[3] In December 2019, he was arrested in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, accused of sexual harassment for slapping a woman's behind without her permission.[4]
In season 2008-09 he debuted into professional volleyball, hired by Tours VB, where he stayed for three seasons and winner Pro A League. In season 2011-12 he was hired in the Italian team of Cuneo Piemonte in Series A1 League, where he remained for two seasons. With the team, he reached the final of the CEV Europe League. N'gapeth in the next year moved to Kuzbass Kemerovo, a club playing in Super League; however, during the season he abandoned the team and returned to Italy, wearing the shirt of Modena in the Serie A1. With Modena, he won the 2014-15 Italian Cup and the 2015-16 Italian Championship, Italian Cup, and Italian Supercup. In the season 2015-16 he won his second Italian Supercup.[5][6] Ngapeth after four years in Modena joined Zenit Kazan with a two-year contract.[7][8]
On October 7, 2010 he was expelled from the national team on disciplinary grounds during World Championship held in Italy.[9] He came back to national team at European Championship 2011. In 2014 played at World Championship 2014 held in Poland. France lost the match for the bronze medal with Germany and took 4th place.[10] He was one of the key players in the 2015 World League championship campaign. On October 18, 2015 French national team, including N'Gapeth, achieved title of the European Champion 2015 (3–0 with Slovenia in the finale).[11][12] Ngapeth for the second time in a year 2017, selected Most Valuable Player of FIVB World League and winner gold medalist with France.[13]
Awards | ||
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Preceded by | Most Valuable Player Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 |
Succeeded by TBD |
Preceded by | Best Outside Spiker of Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 ex aequo ![]() |
Succeeded by TBD |
Preceded by | Most Valuable Player FIVB Nations League Bologna 2022 |
Succeeded by TBD |
Preceded by![]() ![]() |
Best Outside Spiker of FIVB Nations League Bologna 2022 (with ![]() |
Succeeded by TBD |
France – 2015 CEV European Championship – Gold medal | ||
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France men's volleyball squad – 2020 Summer Olympics – Gold medal | ||
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