Stephane Ruffier is a French football player who currently plays as a goalkeeper for French club Saint-Étienne in Ligue 1. He previously played for Monaco from 2005–2011 serving as the first-choice goalkeeper and captain of the club. Ruffier was born on 27 September 1986 in Bayonne to Jean-François Ruffier, a world champion in the sport of Basque pelota, and Patricia Ruffier. Upon his arrival to the club Monaco, Ruffier was inserted into the team's youth academy and honed his skills as a goalkeeper. After spending only one season in the club's academy, he was promoted to the club's Championnat de France amateur team in the fourth division. On 10 May 2006, Ruffier signed his first professional contract with Monaco agreeing to a three-year deal until June 2009. Following AS Monaco's relegation to Ligue 2, Ruffier was linked with Saint Etienne. Ruffier made his debut in a 2-1 win over Bordeaux and also in his debut, Ruffier received a yellow card. Ruffier is also a French international and made his senior debut on 11 August 2010 in a friendly match against Norway.
