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Earvin N'Gapeth

French volleyball player (born 1991) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Earvin N'Gapeth
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Not to be confused with Earving.

Earvin N'Gapeth (born 12 February 1991) is a French professional volleyball player who plays for the Turkish club Fenerbahçe and represents France in international competitions. He has achieved numerous accolades, including the French league championship in 2010, the Italian league championship in 2016, and the European continental championship in 2015. N'Gapeth is a four-time gold medalist in the World League/Nations League (2015, 2017, 2022, 2024) and a two-time Olympic gold medalist (2020, 2024).

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Early life

N'Gapeth was born in Saint-Raphaël, France, and spent most of his childhood in the nearby commune of Fréjus. During his youth, he participated in both volleyball and football, initially showing a strong passion for football, where he played as a centre-forward. While living in Fréjus, he attended a football academy and played alongside French footballer Layvin Kurzawa. At age 11, his family relocated to Poitiers, a city with a more prominent volleyball community than football. Consequently, N'Gapeth shifted his focus from football to volleyball. He progressed quickly in the sport and turned professional in 2008, at the age of 17.[1][2]

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Professional career

N'Gapeth began his professional volleyball career in the 2008–09 season when he signed with Tours VB, where he spent three seasons and won the Pro A league title in 2009–10. In 2011–12, he moved to Italy to join Piemonte Volley in Serie A1, playing two seasons and helping the team reach the CEV Champions League final in 2012–13 as runners-up. The following season, he transferred to Kuzbass Kemerovo in the Russian Super League but left mid-season to return to Italy with Modena Volley. During his tenure at Modena, N'Gapeth won the Italian Cup and Italian SuperCup in 2014–15, and the Italian Championship, Italian Cup, and Italian SuperCup in 2015–16. After four seasons with Modena, he returned to Russia to play for Zenit Kazan in the Russian Super League until 2021.[2]

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National team career

On October 6, 2010, N'Gapeth was expelled from the French national volleyball team on disciplinary grounds during the World Championship in Italy following an incident in which he insulted then-coach Philippe Blain.[3][4] Despite this setback, he returned to the national team for the 2011 European Championship. In 2014, N'Gapeth competed at the World Championship held in Poland, where France finished fourth after losing the bronze medal match to Germany. He played a key role in France’s victorious 2015 World League campaign. On October 18, 2015, he contributed to France’s European Championship triumph with a straight-sets 3–0 win over Slovenia in the final.[5] In 2017, N'Gapeth was named Most Valuable Player of the World League, leading France to win the gold medal.[2]

Awards and honors

Clubs

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N'Gapeth with the Asian Championship Medal with Paykan Tehran VC in Tehran, Iran

National team

Youth national team

Individual awards

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Endorsements

N'Gapeth is sponsored by Adidas.[7]

Legal issues

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In December 2014, N'Gapeth was given a suspended sentence of three months' imprisonment by the Montpellier criminal court for his involvement in a nightclub brawl in August 2013.[4]

In July 2015, N'Gapeth was arrested following an incident at Paris Montparnasse station involving an alleged assault on a TGV train conductor. N'Gapeth and his brother were waiting for a friend when N'Gapeth requested to delay the train’s departure.[4] The conductor accused N'Gapeth’s brother of blocking the train door, leading to an argument during which N'Gapeth allegedly insulted and struck the conductor, causing minor injuries. It was also reported that N'Gapeth threw a newspaper at the conductor's face. In April 2016, N'Gapeth was sentenced to a three-month suspended prison term and fined €3,000.[8] However, in March 2018, the Court of Appeal of Paris acquitted N'Gapeth of all charges related to the incident.[9]

In November 2015, N'Gapeth was involved in a hit-and-run incident outside the Frozen Club in Modena, Italy, which resulted in injuries to three pedestrians. Two victims sustained minor injuries, while one was critically injured and hospitalized. N'Gapeth fled the scene but later turned himself in to the Italian authorities by voluntarily going to the prosecutor's office to confess. Following the incident, Modena Volley imposed a temporary suspension on him for several games.[10][11] In May 2018, he pleaded guilty before a judge in Modena and was sentenced to a one-year suspended prison term along with a suspended driving license.[12][13]

In December 2017, N'Gapeth was stopped by Modena traffic police during a routine check and found to be driving under the influence of alcohol. Following an evening spent at a wine bar and the Frozen Club in Modena, Italy, with his teammates, he was measured to have a blood alcohol level of 1.98 g/L, nearly four times the Italian legal limit of 0.50 g/L. As a result, his driver's license was immediately revoked, and the car he was traveling in was towed away.[14]

In December 2019, N'Gapeth was arrested in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, following allegations of sexual assault. A woman accused him of slapping her buttocks during a party at a local nightclub. N'Gapeth told authorities that he believed the woman was a friend and that he did not intend to cause harm.[15] He was held in custody for over 24 hours before being released on bail set at €10,000. Following the incident, the French Ministry of Sports removed N'Gapeth from a video campaign against sexual violence, citing precautionary measures despite his presumption of innocence.[9]

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Personal life

N'Gapeth is of Cameroonian descent through his father, Éric N'Gapeth, who was born in Cameroon and represented France in volleyball at the Seoul 1988 Summer Olympics.[2]

N'Gapeth was named after basketball player Earvin "Magic" Johnson by his father, who has long been an avid basketball fan.[2][16]

N'Gapeth has described his volleyball career as highly fulfilling, expressing no regrets about choosing volleyball over football. He noted that the life of a professional footballer appears more complex, with greater pressure and heightened media scrutiny. Nevertheless, he has expressed a desire to have continued playing football for a longer period, as he finds the sport itself genuinely engaging. Outside of his volleyball career, N'Gapeth maintains his passion for football by playing FIFA on his PlayStation and organizing informal matches with friends at local football pitches during his spare time.[1]

N'Gapeth supports Paris Saint-Germain as his favorite football club and cites Zinedine Zidane as his favorite footballer.[1]

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References

External links

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