Le Mans UC72
Encyclopedia
Le Mans Football Club is a French association football
club based in Le Mans
. The club was founded in 1985 as a result of a merger under the name Le Mans Union Club 72. In 2010, Le Mans changed its name to Le Mans FC to coincide with the re-modeling of the club, which includes moving into a new stadium, MMArena, which opened in January 2011. The club currently plays in Ligue 2
, the second level of French football
having suffered relegation from Ligue 1
following the 2009–10 season
. The team is managed by Arnaud Cormier and captained by the Gabonese international
goalkeeper Didier Ovono
.
The football section of Union Sportive du Mans was founded in 1903. The club that exists today came as a result of a merger between Union Sportive du Mans and Le Mans Sports Club that occurred on 12 June 1985. Upon its foundation, former football player Bernard Deferrez was installed as manager. Le Mans spent the majority of its infancy in Ligue 2. In the 2003–04 season, the club achieved promotion to Ligue 1
for the first time, but were immediately relegated. Le Mans returned to the first division for the 2004–05 season and successfully remained in the league for the next four seasons. The club suffered relegated back to Ligue 2 in the 2009–10 season
. Midway through the campaign, on 2 December 2009, Le Mans announced that it was changing its name from Le Mans Union Club 72 to Le Mans FC.
As of November 2010.
and international competition since the club's foundation in 1985. To appear in the section below, a player must have played in at least 100 official matches for the club.
For a complete list of Le Mans players, see :Category:Le Mans FC players
Laurent Bonnart
Mathieu Coutadeur
James Fanchone
Yohann Pelé
Stéphane Samson
Francis Smerecki Olivier Thomas
Ludovic Baal
Anthony Le Tallec
Stéphane Sessègnon
Túlio de Melo
Grafite
Hassan Yebda
Daniel Cousin
Modibo Maiga
Gervinho
Romaric
Didier Drogba
Daisuke Matsui
Marko Baša
Thorstein Helstad
Football in France
Football is the most popular sport in France. The Fédération Française de Football is the national governing bodyand is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of association football in the country, both professional and amateur...
club based in Le Mans
Le Mans
Le Mans is a city in France, located on the Sarthe River. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Mans. Le Mans is a part of the Pays de la Loire region.Its inhabitants are called Manceaux...
. The club was founded in 1985 as a result of a merger under the name Le Mans Union Club 72. In 2010, Le Mans changed its name to Le Mans FC to coincide with the re-modeling of the club, which includes moving into a new stadium, MMArena, which opened in January 2011. The club currently plays in Ligue 2
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
, the second level of French football
Football in France
Football is the most popular sport in France. The Fédération Française de Football is the national governing bodyand is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of association football in the country, both professional and amateur...
having suffered relegation from Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
following the 2009–10 season
2009–10 Ligue 1
The 2009–10 Ligue 1 season was the 72nd since its establishment. Bordeaux were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 5 June 2009, and play commenced on 8 August and ended on 15 May 2010. There were three promoted teams from Ligue 2, replacing the three teams that were relegated...
. The team is managed by Arnaud Cormier and captained by the Gabonese international
Gabon national football team
The Gabon national football team, nicknamed Azingo Nationale, is the national team of Gabon and is controlled by the Fédération Gabonaise de Football...
goalkeeper Didier Ovono
Didier Ovono
Didier Janvier Ovono Ebang is a Gabonese football Goalkeeper who currently plays for Le Mans UC 72.- Career :In 2008, he won the Georgian League with FC Dinamo Tbilisi. On 22 June 2009, he moved from Dinamo Tbilisi to Le Mans UC 72 in Ligue 1 where he was given a 3 year-contract until June 2012...
.
History
Le Mans Sports Club were founded in 1900, but it wasn't until 1908 that a football club existed within it. In 1910, Le Mans qualified for the Championnat de la France in 1910, but were heavily overturned by Saint-Servan. Gaining a huge reputation up to World War I, le Mans plunged into obscurity by World War II before joining the a war league in 1942.The football section of Union Sportive du Mans was founded in 1903. The club that exists today came as a result of a merger between Union Sportive du Mans and Le Mans Sports Club that occurred on 12 June 1985. Upon its foundation, former football player Bernard Deferrez was installed as manager. Le Mans spent the majority of its infancy in Ligue 2. In the 2003–04 season, the club achieved promotion to Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
for the first time, but were immediately relegated. Le Mans returned to the first division for the 2004–05 season and successfully remained in the league for the next four seasons. The club suffered relegated back to Ligue 2 in the 2009–10 season
2009–10 Ligue 1
The 2009–10 Ligue 1 season was the 72nd since its establishment. Bordeaux were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 5 June 2009, and play commenced on 8 August and ended on 15 May 2010. There were three promoted teams from Ligue 2, replacing the three teams that were relegated...
. Midway through the campaign, on 2 December 2009, Le Mans announced that it was changing its name from Le Mans Union Club 72 to Le Mans FC.
Current squad
Reserve squad
Le Mans' B team plays in the Championnat de France amateur Group D.As of November 2010.
Notable players
Below are the notable former players who have represented Le Mans and its predecessors in leagueLigue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
and international competition since the club's foundation in 1985. To appear in the section below, a player must have played in at least 100 official matches for the club.
For a complete list of Le Mans players, see :Category:Le Mans FC players
Laurent Bonnart
Laurent Bonnart
Laurent Bonnart is a French football player. He currently plays for Lille.Bonnart played with Le Mans UC72, with whom he began his career...
Mathieu Coutadeur
Mathieu Coutadeur
Mathieu Coutadeur is a French midfielder currently playing for Lorient. He is a centre midfielder known for his passing.-Club career:...
James Fanchone
James Fanchone
James Fanchone is a French soccer player, currently with Le Havre AC. On the 23 June 2011 James Fanchone move to Ligue 2 club Le Havre for an undisclosed fee.-External links:* at lfp.fr...
Yohann Pelé
Yohann Pelé
Yohann Pelé is a French football goalkeeper. He currently plays for Toulouse FC.- Career :Pelé has spent most of his career at Le Mans, making his debut in Ligue 2 in the 1–0 defeat at FC Istres in September 2002. He established himself as the club's first-choice goalkeeper in the 2004–05 season,...
Stéphane Samson
Stéphane Samson
Stéphane Samson is a French football striker. He currently plays for Stade Reims.-External links:...
Francis Smerecki Olivier Thomas
Olivier Thomas
Olivier Thomas is a French soccer player who last played for AC Ajaccio.- Career :A defender, Thomas counts Le Mans UC 72, AS Nancy, Troyes AC, FC Nantes Atlantique and AC Ajaccio as his former clubs....
Ludovic Baal
Ludovic Baal
Ludovic Baal is a French footballer playing for RC Lens as a left back.-Le Mans:Ludovic Baal came through the Le Mans youth system, playing 12 games in his first season with Le Mans scoring 1 goal. His impressive performances earned him a spot in the starting 11 playing 38 Ligue 1 matches the...
Anthony Le Tallec
Anthony Le Tallec
Anthony Le Tallec is a French footballer who plays for AJ Auxerre in Ligue 1, as a forward or attacking midfielder.-Liverpool:...
Stéphane Sessègnon
Stéphane Sessegnon
Stéphane Sessègnon is Beninese football player of Ivorian heritage who currently plays for English club Sunderland in the Premier League. He is a Benin international having starred for the nation at both the 2008 and 2010 editions of the Africa Cup of Nations...
Túlio de Melo
Túlio de Melo
Túlio Vinícius Fróes de Melo , commonly known as Túlio de Melo, is a Brazilian football striker who currently plays for Lille OSC in the French Ligue 1.- Early career & Breakthrough :...
Grafite
Grafite
Edinaldo Batista Libânio , commonly known as Grafite is a Brazilian footballer who plays for UAE Football League club Al-Ahli Dubai....
Hassan Yebda
Hassan Yebda
Hassan Yebda is an Algerian footballer who plays for Granada CF in Spain, as a central midfielder.-France:...
Daniel Cousin
Daniel Cousin
Daniel Michel Cousin is a Gabonese footballer who plays as a striker. He last played for Larissa and represents Gabon, for whom he is captain. Previously he has played for , Martigues, , Le Mans Union Club 72, RC Lens and Hull City....
Modibo Maiga
Modibo Maïga
Modibo Maiga is a Malian footballer. He currently plays for Sochaux. He is a forward who can play as a winger.-Tunisian:...
Gervinho
Gervinho
Gervais Yao Kouassi , more commonly known as Gervinho, is an Ivorian footballer who plays as a forwardor as a winger for English Premier League club Arsenal.-Youth career:...
Romaric
Koffi Ndri Romaric
Christian Koffi Ndri , commonly known as Romaric, is an Ivorian footballer who plays as a midfielder for RCD Espanyol, on loan from Sevilla FC, and the Côte d'Ivoire national team...
Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba
Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, where he is deputy vice-captain, and is the captain and all-time top scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team...
Daisuke Matsui
Daisuke Matsui
is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Dijon in Ligue 1.-Early years:In 2000, Matsui graduated from and began his professional career with Kyoto Purple Sanga of the J. League.-Kyoto Purple Sanga:...
Marko Baša
Marko Baša
Marko Baša is a Montenegrin football player who plays for Lille.-Lille:...
Thorstein Helstad
Thorstein Helstad
Thorstein Helstad is a Norwegian footballer who plays as a striker for French Ligue 2 club Monaco and the Norwegian national team.- Career :...
Managers
Mony Braustein (1945–46)
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Thierry Froger Thierry Froger Thierry Froger is a French football coach and former professional player, who currently manages Ligue 2 side Nîmes.-Playing career:Froger played club football for Le Mans, Lille and Grenoble.-Coaching career:... (January 1994 – May 97) Slavo Muslin Slavoljub Muslin Slavoljub Muslin is a Serbian football manager and a former player who currently manages FC Krasnodar... (June 1997 – November 97) Marc Westerloppe (November 1997 – November 2000) Alain Pascalou (November 2000 – December 2000) Thierry Goudet Thierry Goudet Thierry Goudet is a former football midfielder and manager.-External links:* *... (December 2000 – February 2004) Daniel Jeandupeux (February 2004 – December 2004) Frédéric Hantz Frédéric Hantz Frédéric Hantz is a football manager, currently managing SC Bastia.-Coaching career:Formerly coached FC Sochaux who had a playing career before coaching. On 18 December named as new Head Coach by Le Havre AC and was after the end of his contract on 30 June 2010 released... (December 2004–07) Rudi Garcia Rudi Garcia Rudi Garcia is a football manager and former player.- Playing career :From a very early age, football was part of Rudi Garcia's existence. His father, José, was a Spanish immigrant who played football at a professional level for Sedan and Dunkerque... (2007–08) Yves Bertucci Yves Bertucci Yves Bertucci is a French football manager and former football player.He is currently an assistant coach for Paris Saint-Germain, having in February 2009 being replaced by Daniel Jeandupeux as the manager of Le Mans Union Club.... (2008–09) Daniel Jeandupeux (2009) Arnaud Cormier (2009) Paulo Duarte (2009) Arnaud Cormier (2009–) |
Honours
- Division d'Honneur Quest
- Winners (2): 1961, 1965
- Coupe GambardellaCoupe GambardellaThe Coupe Gambardella is a French football cup competition held between the under-19s of the French football clubs, organized by the French Football Federation ....
- Winners (1): 2004
External links
- Official Website (in French)