Lille OSC
Encyclopedia
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football
club based in Lille
. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1
, the first division of French football
. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the club will move into a new facililty, tentatively named Grand Stade Lille Métropole. The team is managed by former Lille player Rudi Garcia
and captained by French international
Rio Mavuba.
Lille was founded as a result of a merger between Olympique Lillois
and SC Fives
. Both clubs were founding members of the French Division 1
and Lillois was the league's inaugural champions. Under the Lille emblem, the club has won three league titles in 1946, 1954, and 2011
and six Coupe de France
titles, which is tied for fourth-best among clubs. Lille and Red Star FC are the only French clubs in the competition's history to win the Coupe de France in three consecutive seasons. The club is the current holder of both the Ligue 1
title and the Coupe de France
. Lille's most successful period was the decade from 1946–1956 when the team was led by managers George Berry and André Cheuva
.
Lille have a long-standing rivalry with its neighbours RC Lens
. The two clubs regularly contest the Derby du Nord
. Lille is presided over by Michel Seydoux
, a French businessman and movie producer. Seydoux initially purchased shares of the club in January 2002 and, subsequently, gained majority control two years later.
LOSC Lille Métropole was formed on 23 September 1944 as a result of a merger between professional clubs Olympique Lillois
and SC Fives
. Lillois had been in the process of negotiating with Fives as early as 1939. After failing to agree to a merger with Fives, Lillois merged with local club Iris Club Lillois to form Olympique Iris Club Lillois. However, due to World War II and the abolishing of professional football under the Vichy Regime, the club spent most of its existence playing in the amateur war leagues. In 1944, Fives finally agreed to a merger. However, the section of Olympique Iris Club Lillois officials who were representing Iris Club Lillois refused the merger as it meant the club would have to turn professional. The disagreement between Olympique Lillois and Iris Club led to the first merger dissolving. As a result, the original incarnation of Lillois merged with Fives. The club was initially named Stade Lillois and played under the name in two friendly matches ahead of the 1944–45 war championship season. On 10 November 1944, after a directors' meeting, the club changed its name to Lille Olympique Sporting Club. The name pays tribute to Olympique Lillois by retaining the Lille Olympique title and pays tribute to SC Fives by retaining the SC acronym. The club, subsequently, adopted the red and white colors of Lillois as its home kit and took Fives' blue colors as its away kit. Former Fives president Louis Henno was named as the club's first president.
After the war, Lille returned to professional football and was inserted into Division 1
. Henno brought in the Englishman
George Berry to lead the team. Henno also successfully recruited several former players of both Fives and Lillois such as Joseph Jadrejak
, Marceau Somerlinck
, Jules Bigot, François Bourbotte
, Jean Baratte
, and Jean Lechantre
. The influence of these set of players led to Lille reaching the final of the Coupe de France
in 1945. In the final, Lille faced a more experienced Racing Club de France team who humbled the Northerners 3–0 at the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir
in Colombes
. In Lille's inaugural season in Division 1, the club surprised many by not only winning the league, but also winning the Coupe de France
. The team, which was nicknamed the "war machine" by local newspapers, won the league by only one point over Saint-Étienne
and were led by René Bihel
who scored 28 goals in 26 matches. In the Coupe de France, Lille defeated Red Star Olympique 4–2 with Bihel, Bolek Tempowski, and Roger Vandooren, who netted two, scoring the goals. After the season, Berry departed the club due to constant interference by Henno and he was replaced by André Cheuva
.
Despite the departure of Berry, Lille maintained its form under the leadership of Cheuva. The club finished 4th in its second season in Division 1, but compensated for its league performance by winning the Coupe de France for the second consecutive season. The team defeated Strasbourg
2–0 in the final. In the 1947–48 season, Lille finished runner-up to Marseille
in the league. However, Lille again remained strong in the Coupe de France winning the competition for the third consecutive season thanks to Baratte who scored the game-winning goal in the 86th minute against rivals Lens
. As a result, Lille became the second team in French football history, the other being Red Star, to win the Coupe de France in three consecutive seasons. In the next four seasons, Lille maintained its consistent regularly finishing in the top three in the league. In the 1950–51 season, Lille reached the final of the Latin Cup
and were defeated by Italian
club Milan
. The departures of Jadrejak and Bigot limited the club somewhat, but Lille were still able to capture its fourth and fifth Coupe de France titles in 1953 and 1955. The 1955 cup title would be Lille's last major domestic trophy.
The subsequent departures of Baratte, Lechantre, Sommerlynck, and 1950 signing Cor van der Hart
led to the club entering somewhat of a downward spiral. The struggle to find talent led to president Henno looking abroad for players. In 1954, Lille, among many other clubs, were interested in the Hungarian international
defender József Zakariás
who had performed well in Hungary's campaign at the 1954 FIFA World Cup
. In an attempt to take advantage of the player's new-found fame, a former Czechoslovak Legion began posing as Zakariás after departing from Indochina
. The impostor, posing as Zakariás, ventured to Lille
and announced his intent to sign for the club by declaring that he was going "past the Iron Curtain
and choosing the side of freedom." Thinking he had signed one of the world's hottest prospects, Henno overlooked the option of asking the player for his identity papers and, subsequently, signed him and introduced him to the press. On 2 July 1954, the ruse was finally unveiled in "Zakariás'" first match with the club. The spectators and press immediately noticed that the player was not Zakariás based on his performance, which was described as clumsy. The impostor later injured a player and was arrested on the field of play. He confessed to the crime of impersonating Zakariás and was sentenced to two months in prison. The entire ordeal completely shattered the reputation of Lille OSC in France and, later, abroad.
The club's reputation on the field began to deplete, as well. In the 1955–56 season, just two years after winning the Coupe de France, Lille finished in 16th place in the league, which resulted in relegation to Division 2
for the first time in the club's history. The club returned to Division 1 after one season, but after two seasons of top flight play, was relegated back to Division 2 in 1959. That same year, Henno left his post as president and Cheuva resigned as manager. The second relegation led to the club enduring financial problems, which resulted in Lille selling many of its best players, most notably Jean Vincent to Stade de Reims for a then-French record of ₣19 million. From 1959–1978, Lille spent the majority of its life rotating between Division 1 and Division 2. In 1969, the club reverted to amateur status and playing in the Championnat de France amateur. Despite finishing in 10th place out of 15 teams, Lille were administratively promoted back to Division 2 by the French Football Federation
and the Ligue de Football Professionnel
. In 1978, Lille returned to Division 1 and maintained stability by remaining in the league for the next 19 seasons. The club's best finish during the stint was a 6th place finish, which occurred on two occasions; in the club's first season back in 1978 and in 1991. In 1994, the club was taken over by Bernard Lecomte who saved the club from falling victim to the DNCG's financial regulations. Under Lecomte, Lille reverted from buying expensive talent and began putting emphasis on developing players through the club's youth system, which led to the recruitment of the Cheyrou brothers and many other youth talents. In 1997, Lille were relegated back to Division 2.
Lille returned to Division 1 in 2000 under the Bosnian
manager Vahid Halilhodžić
. In January 2002, influential move producer Michel Seydoux
purchased shares in the club and became a minor shareholder. That same summer, former Monaco coach Claude Puel
was named manager. In January 2004, Seydoux became the majority shareholder and was, subsequently, installed as the club's president. In his first full season of presidency, Lille stunned many French football enthusiasts by finishing runner-up in the league behind Lyon
and ahead of the likes of Monaco
and Marseille
. The club also reached the Round of 16 in the UEFA Cup
. The second place position resulted in Lille qualifying for the UEFA Champions League
for the first time in its history. In the ensuing season, Lille kept its consistency by finishing in third place in the league. On 2 November 2005, the club recorded one of the greatest results in its history by defeating Manchester United
in the UEFA Champions League group phase.
In the 2006–07 Ligue 1 season, due to focusing its efforts on four competitions, Lille finished 10th in the league. The club did reached the knockout stage of the Champions League for the first time, but were eliminated by Manchester United via controversial circumstances. In the next season, Lille formed a talented core of players that helped the team to a 7th place finish in the league. Between 2007–2009, Lille sold several of its core players, most notably Michel Bastos, Jean II Makoun, and Kevin Mirallas
. The club's further potential was hampered by the departure of Claude Puel
in 2009. President Seydoux sought to eliminate the idea that Lille was a selling club by recruiting Gervinho
, Florent Balmont
, Rio Mavuba, and Pierre-Alain Frau
to compensate for the loss of the departures. New manager Rudi Garcia
also inserted the talented youngster Adil Rami
as a starter and promoted the club's Belgian
youth starlet Eden Hazard
to the senior team. The signings and changes immediately paid off with Garcia creating an impressive attacking style of play, which resulted in the club scoring a league-leading 72 goals and finishing in 4th place in the 2009–10 season
.
The club's success continued into the 2010–11 season
when they were crowned Ligue 1 champions for the third time in club history and the first time since 1954. Furthermore, they again finished at the top of the league with 68 goals and striker Moussa Sow
was the top individual scorer with 25 goals of his own.
. The stadium was inaugurated on 28 October 1975 with Lille contesting a match against Dutch
club Feyenoord. In 2003, it was announced by Lille OSC and the city that the site of the Stade Grimonprez Jooris would be used to build the club's new stadium. Lille, subsequently, moved into the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. Due to the Stade Lille-Metropole not meeting the requirements to host UEFA Champions League
matches, Lille hosted home matches at the Stade Félix Bollaert
in Lens
and Stade de France
in Saint-Denis
.
Due to several administrative and politically-driven delays, the construction of the facility was put in limbo and eventually called off in 2005. The Urban Community of Lille later agreed to fund the destruction of the Stade Grimonprez Jooris, which officially began on 22 March 2010. In 2006, the city of Lille agreed to assist in funding for the construction of the Grand Stade Lille Métropole, which is on both town of Villeneuve-d'Ascq and Lezennes
. The stadium will be completed in 2012 and is currently listed as a site for matches to be played at UEFA Euro 2016
.
Stadium history
and international competition since the club's foundation in 1926. 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 Lille OSC players, see :Category:Lille OSC players
Jocelyn Angloma
Jean Baratte
Philippe Bergeroo
Guillaume Bieganski
Jules Bigot François Bourbotte
Yohan Cabaye
Benoît Cheyrou
Bruno Cheyrou
Christian Coste
Yvon Douis
François Heutte
Joseph Jadrejak
Bernard Lama
Jean Lechantre
André Strappe
Jean Vincent Nourredine Kourichi Éric Assadourian
Mile Sterjovski
Erwin Vandenbergh
Michel Bastos Jean II Makoun Per Frandsen
Jakob Friis-Hansen
Cor van der Hart
Tony Sylva
Stanislav Karasi
Boro Primorac
Gervinho
Senior club staff
Coaching and medical staff
(1984–1989), a former Belgian international player, Jacques Santini (1989–92), who managed France
between 2002 and 2004, Bruno Metsu
(1992–93), who managed Senegal in the 2002 World Cup, Pierre Mankowski (1993–1994), who was formerly the assistant coach of the French national team and Vahid Halilhodžić
(1998–2002), who can be credited with the club's revival in the late nineties.
The current coach, Rudi Garcia
, who played for Lille from 1980–1988, replaced Claude Puel
at the beginning of the 2008 season. Puel had been with Lille since 2002. Thanks to his successes with the club, Puel had been approached by Portuguese
club Porto to replace José Mourinho
and league rivals Lyon to replace Alain Perrin; he finally decided to join Lyon after six seasons at the club.
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 Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in 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....
, the first division 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...
. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the club will move into a new facililty, tentatively named Grand Stade Lille Métropole. The team is managed by former Lille player 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...
and captained by French international
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
Rio Mavuba.
Lille was founded as a result of a merger between Olympique Lillois
Olympique Lillois
Olympique Lillois was a French association football club from the city of Lille. Founded in 1902 they merged with SC Fives in 1944 to form Lille OSC.-Honours:Championnat de France*Champion : 1933*Runner-up : 1936Trophée de France...
and SC Fives
SC Fives
SC Fives was a French association football club from Fives, a suburb in the east of Lille. Founded in 1901, the club merged with Olympique Lillois in 1944 to form Lille OSC.-Honours:Championnat de France*Runner-up : 1934Coupe de France...
. Both clubs were founding members of the French Division 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....
and Lillois was the league's inaugural champions. Under the Lille emblem, the club has won three league titles in 1946, 1954, and 2011
2010–11 Ligue 1
The 2010–11 Ligue 1 season was the 73rd since its establishment. Entering the season, Marseille were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 21 May 2010 and the season began on 7 August and ended on 29 May 2011. The winter break was in effect between 23 December and 15 January 2011...
and six Coupe de France
Coupe de France
The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
titles, which is tied for fourth-best among clubs. Lille and Red Star FC are the only French clubs in the competition's history to win the Coupe de France in three consecutive seasons. The club is the current holder of both the 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....
title and the Coupe de France
Coupe de France
The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
. Lille's most successful period was the decade from 1946–1956 when the team was led by managers George Berry and André Cheuva
André Cheuva
André Cheuva was a French footballer who played midfielder. After retiring he became a manager, and won 4 Coupe de France with Lille O.S.C..-References:*...
.
Lille have a long-standing rivalry with its neighbours RC Lens
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
. The two clubs regularly contest the Derby du Nord
Derby du Nord
The Derby du Nord is a football match contested between French clubs RC Lens and Lille OSC, two of region's most successful clubs. The derby has the name despite Lille being the only club of the two situated in the department of Nord. Lens are situated in the southern department of Pas-de-Calais...
. Lille is presided over by Michel Seydoux
Michel Seydoux
Michel Seydoux is a French businessman and movie producer. He also serves as the president and chairman of French club Lille OSC. Seydoux is the grandson of scientist Marcel Schlumberger and has two brothers; Jérôme and Nicolas. Jérôme is a shareholder on football club Olympique Lyonnais.-External...
, a French businessman and movie producer. Seydoux initially purchased shares of the club in January 2002 and, subsequently, gained majority control two years later.
History
Olympique Lillois
Olympique Lillois was a French association football club from the city of Lille. Founded in 1902 they merged with SC Fives in 1944 to form Lille OSC.-Honours:Championnat de France*Champion : 1933*Runner-up : 1936Trophée de France...
and SC Fives
SC Fives
SC Fives was a French association football club from Fives, a suburb in the east of Lille. Founded in 1901, the club merged with Olympique Lillois in 1944 to form Lille OSC.-Honours:Championnat de France*Runner-up : 1934Coupe de France...
. Lillois had been in the process of negotiating with Fives as early as 1939. After failing to agree to a merger with Fives, Lillois merged with local club Iris Club Lillois to form Olympique Iris Club Lillois. However, due to World War II and the abolishing of professional football under the Vichy Regime, the club spent most of its existence playing in the amateur war leagues. In 1944, Fives finally agreed to a merger. However, the section of Olympique Iris Club Lillois officials who were representing Iris Club Lillois refused the merger as it meant the club would have to turn professional. The disagreement between Olympique Lillois and Iris Club led to the first merger dissolving. As a result, the original incarnation of Lillois merged with Fives. The club was initially named Stade Lillois and played under the name in two friendly matches ahead of the 1944–45 war championship season. On 10 November 1944, after a directors' meeting, the club changed its name to Lille Olympique Sporting Club. The name pays tribute to Olympique Lillois by retaining the Lille Olympique title and pays tribute to SC Fives by retaining the SC acronym. The club, subsequently, adopted the red and white colors of Lillois as its home kit and took Fives' blue colors as its away kit. Former Fives president Louis Henno was named as the club's first president.
After the war, Lille returned to professional football and was inserted into Division 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....
. Henno brought in the Englishman
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
George Berry to lead the team. Henno also successfully recruited several former players of both Fives and Lillois such as Joseph Jadrejak
Joseph Jadrejak
Joseph Jadrzejczak, known as Joseph Jadrejak , is a former French international footballer and manager who played as a defender, and was part of the famed Lille team of the late 1940s.- Biography :He moved to France with his family when he was two years old.In the...
, Marceau Somerlinck
Marceau Somerlinck
Marceau Somerlinck was a French football player who played with Lille OSC. He won the Coupe de France a total of five times....
, Jules Bigot, François Bourbotte
François Bourbotte
François Bourbotte was a professional French footballer.-References:*...
, Jean Baratte
Jean Baratte
Jean Baratte was a French international footballer who played as striker, and manager. He is an historic player of Lille OSC and the twelfth goalscorer in Ligue 1.-Titles:As a player...
, and Jean Lechantre
Jean Lechantre
Jean Lechantre is a Belgian born French retired footballer. He played club football most notably with Lille and CO Roubaix-Tourcoing and was capped three times for France; he ended his career as a player-coach for AC Cambrai and CO Roubaix-Tourcoing.-References:*...
. The influence of these set of players led to Lille reaching the final of the Coupe de France
Coupe de France
The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
in 1945. In the final, Lille faced a more experienced Racing Club de France team who humbled the Northerners 3–0 at the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir
Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir
The Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir - stadium in Colombes, near Paris, France . Named in memory of French rugby player Yves du Manoir in 1928. Was the main stadium for the 1924 Summer Olympics and had a capacity of 45,000 at the time...
in Colombes
Colombes
Colombes is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:On 13 March 1896, 17% of the territory of Colombes was detached and became the commune of Bois-Colombes ....
. In Lille's inaugural season in Division 1, the club surprised many by not only winning the league, but also winning the Coupe de France
Coupe de France
The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
. The team, which was nicknamed the "war machine" by local newspapers, won the league by only one point over Saint-Étienne
AS Saint-Étienne
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city...
and were led by René Bihel
René Bihel
René Bihel was a professional French football player.-External links:***...
who scored 28 goals in 26 matches. In the Coupe de France, Lille defeated Red Star Olympique 4–2 with Bihel, Bolek Tempowski, and Roger Vandooren, who netted two, scoring the goals. After the season, Berry departed the club due to constant interference by Henno and he was replaced by André Cheuva
André Cheuva
André Cheuva was a French footballer who played midfielder. After retiring he became a manager, and won 4 Coupe de France with Lille O.S.C..-References:*...
.
RC Strasbourg
Racing Club de Strasbourg is a French association football club founded in 1906 and professional since 1933, based in the city of Strasbourg, in Alsace...
2–0 in the final. In the 1947–48 season, Lille finished runner-up to Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
in the league. However, Lille again remained strong in the Coupe de France winning the competition for the third consecutive season thanks to Baratte who scored the game-winning goal in the 86th minute against rivals Lens
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
. As a result, Lille became the second team in French football history, the other being Red Star, to win the Coupe de France in three consecutive seasons. In the next four seasons, Lille maintained its consistent regularly finishing in the top three in the league. In the 1950–51 season, Lille reached the final of the Latin Cup
Latin Cup
The Latin Cup was an international football tournament for club sides from the Latin European nations of France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. In 1949 the football federations came together and launched their own club competition...
and were defeated by Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
club Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
. The departures of Jadrejak and Bigot limited the club somewhat, but Lille were still able to capture its fourth and fifth Coupe de France titles in 1953 and 1955. The 1955 cup title would be Lille's last major domestic trophy.
The subsequent departures of Baratte, Lechantre, Sommerlynck, and 1950 signing Cor van der Hart
Cor van der Hart
Cor van der Hart was a Dutch footballer. He is known as one of the best defenders of the Dutch national team in history, who was physically strong, who read the game very well and who had a quality kicking technique....
led to the club entering somewhat of a downward spiral. The struggle to find talent led to president Henno looking abroad for players. In 1954, Lille, among many other clubs, were interested in the Hungarian international
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
defender József Zakariás
József Zakariás
József Zakariás , also known as Zakariás József was a Hungarian footballer and manager. During the 1950s he was a member of the legendary Hungary team known as the Mighty Magyars...
who had performed well in Hungary's campaign at the 1954 FIFA World Cup
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...
. In an attempt to take advantage of the player's new-found fame, a former Czechoslovak Legion began posing as Zakariás after departing from Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
. The impostor, posing as Zakariás, ventured to Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
and announced his intent to sign for the club by declaring that he was going "past the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
and choosing the side of freedom." Thinking he had signed one of the world's hottest prospects, Henno overlooked the option of asking the player for his identity papers and, subsequently, signed him and introduced him to the press. On 2 July 1954, the ruse was finally unveiled in "Zakariás'" first match with the club. The spectators and press immediately noticed that the player was not Zakariás based on his performance, which was described as clumsy. The impostor later injured a player and was arrested on the field of play. He confessed to the crime of impersonating Zakariás and was sentenced to two months in prison. The entire ordeal completely shattered the reputation of Lille OSC in France and, later, abroad.
The club's reputation on the field began to deplete, as well. In the 1955–56 season, just two years after winning the Coupe de France, Lille finished in 16th place in the league, which resulted in relegation to Division 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...
for the first time in the club's history. The club returned to Division 1 after one season, but after two seasons of top flight play, was relegated back to Division 2 in 1959. That same year, Henno left his post as president and Cheuva resigned as manager. The second relegation led to the club enduring financial problems, which resulted in Lille selling many of its best players, most notably Jean Vincent to Stade de Reims for a then-French record of ₣19 million. From 1959–1978, Lille spent the majority of its life rotating between Division 1 and Division 2. In 1969, the club reverted to amateur status and playing in the Championnat de France amateur. Despite finishing in 10th place out of 15 teams, Lille were administratively promoted back to Division 2 by the French Football Federation
French Football Federation
The French Football Federation is the governing body of association football in France, as well as the overseas departments and territories . It was formed in 1919 and is based in the capital Paris...
and the Ligue de Football Professionnel
Ligue de Football Professionnel
The Ligue de Football Professionnel , commonly known as the LFP, is a French governing body that runs the major professional football leagues in France. It was founded in 1944 and serves under the authority of the French Football Federation...
. In 1978, Lille returned to Division 1 and maintained stability by remaining in the league for the next 19 seasons. The club's best finish during the stint was a 6th place finish, which occurred on two occasions; in the club's first season back in 1978 and in 1991. In 1994, the club was taken over by Bernard Lecomte who saved the club from falling victim to the DNCG's financial regulations. Under Lecomte, Lille reverted from buying expensive talent and began putting emphasis on developing players through the club's youth system, which led to the recruitment of the Cheyrou brothers and many other youth talents. In 1997, Lille were relegated back to Division 2.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
manager Vahid Halilhodžić
Vahid Halilhodžic
Vahid "Vaha" Halilhodžić is a former Bosnian football player and now a manager, currently managing the Algeria national football team....
. In January 2002, influential move producer Michel Seydoux
Michel Seydoux
Michel Seydoux is a French businessman and movie producer. He also serves as the president and chairman of French club Lille OSC. Seydoux is the grandson of scientist Marcel Schlumberger and has two brothers; Jérôme and Nicolas. Jérôme is a shareholder on football club Olympique Lyonnais.-External...
purchased shares in the club and became a minor shareholder. That same summer, former Monaco coach Claude Puel
Claude Puel
Claude Puel is a French football manager and former player. He spent 17 years playing for AS Monaco.-Managerial career:...
was named manager. In January 2004, Seydoux became the majority shareholder and was, subsequently, installed as the club's president. In his first full season of presidency, Lille stunned many French football enthusiasts by finishing runner-up in the league behind Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
and ahead of the likes of Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...
and Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
. The club also reached the Round of 16 in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
. The second place position resulted in Lille qualifying for the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
for the first time in its history. In the ensuing season, Lille kept its consistency by finishing in third place in the league. On 2 November 2005, the club recorded one of the greatest results in its history by defeating Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
in the UEFA Champions League group phase.
In the 2006–07 Ligue 1 season, due to focusing its efforts on four competitions, Lille finished 10th in the league. The club did reached the knockout stage of the Champions League for the first time, but were eliminated by Manchester United via controversial circumstances. In the next season, Lille formed a talented core of players that helped the team to a 7th place finish in the league. Between 2007–2009, Lille sold several of its core players, most notably Michel Bastos, Jean II Makoun, and Kevin Mirallas
Kevin Mirallas
Kevin Antonio Mirallas is a Belgian footballer who plays for Greek Superleague club Olympiacos, having previously played for Lille and Saint-Étienne. He has been capped by Belgium at international level.-Early years:...
. The club's further potential was hampered by the departure of Claude Puel
Claude Puel
Claude Puel is a French football manager and former player. He spent 17 years playing for AS Monaco.-Managerial career:...
in 2009. President Seydoux sought to eliminate the idea that Lille was a selling club by recruiting 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:...
, Florent Balmont
Florent Balmont
Florent Balmont is a French football midfielder. He currently plays for French team Lille OSC.-External links:**...
, Rio Mavuba, and Pierre-Alain Frau
Pierre-Alain Frau
Pierre-Alain Frau, is a French football forward who plays for Caen in Ligue 1. Frau can operate on the right wing or play as a one of the two striker positions up front.- Career :...
to compensate for the loss of the departures. New manager 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...
also inserted the talented youngster Adil Rami
Adil Rami
Adil Rami is a French international footballer who currently plays for Spanish club Valencia CF in La Liga. He plays in central defence for the club and is known for his physical strength, free kicks, and imposing height standing at nearly 6 ft 3 in .Rami began his football career...
as a starter and promoted the club's Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
youth starlet Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard is a Belgian footballer who currently plays for French club Lille in Ligue 1 and the Belgium national team. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger. Hazard is known for his creativity, speed, and technical ability and is described as a "fearless, explosive attacking...
to the senior team. The signings and changes immediately paid off with Garcia creating an impressive attacking style of play, which resulted in the club scoring a league-leading 72 goals and finishing in 4th place 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...
.
The club's success continued into the 2010–11 season
2010–11 Ligue 1
The 2010–11 Ligue 1 season was the 73rd since its establishment. Entering the season, Marseille were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 21 May 2010 and the season began on 7 August and ended on 29 May 2011. The winter break was in effect between 23 December and 15 January 2011...
when they were crowned Ligue 1 champions for the third time in club history and the first time since 1954. Furthermore, they again finished at the top of the league with 68 goals and striker Moussa Sow
Moussa Sow
Moussa Sow is a French-born Senegalese football player who currently plays for French club Lille in Ligue 1.-Club Career:...
was the top individual scorer with 25 goals of his own.
Stadium
Lille OSC initially began its existence playing at the Stade Henri Jooris. The stadium had been previously used by Olympique Lillois and, following the merger, became Lille's permanent facility. The facility was named after Henri Jooris, who served as president of Olympique Lillois from 1910–1932. In 1974, Lille moved into the recently-completed Stade Grimonprez JoorisStade Grimonprez Jooris
Stade Grimonprez-Jooris was a multi-purpose stadium in Lille, France built in 1974. It was used mainly for football matches as it was home to the Lille OSC football club from 1975 until 2004, when the stadium was closed....
. The stadium was inaugurated on 28 October 1975 with Lille contesting a match against Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
club Feyenoord. In 2003, it was announced by Lille OSC and the city that the site of the Stade Grimonprez Jooris would be used to build the club's new stadium. Lille, subsequently, moved into the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. Due to the Stade Lille-Metropole not meeting the requirements to host UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
matches, Lille hosted home matches at the Stade Félix Bollaert
Stade Félix Bollaert
Stade Félix Bollaert is the main football stadium in Lens, France, that was built in 1932. It is the home of RC Lens. The stadium's capacity is 41,233 – about 4,000 more than the city's population. This is similar to that of SC Heerenveen ground the Abe Lenstra Stadion which has a bigger capacity...
in Lens
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
and Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
in Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is a sous-préfecture of the Seine-Saint-Denis département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis....
.
Due to several administrative and politically-driven delays, the construction of the facility was put in limbo and eventually called off in 2005. The Urban Community of Lille later agreed to fund the destruction of the Stade Grimonprez Jooris, which officially began on 22 March 2010. In 2006, the city of Lille agreed to assist in funding for the construction of the Grand Stade Lille Métropole, which is on both town of Villeneuve-d'Ascq and Lezennes
Lezennes
Lezennes is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.-Heraldry:-References:* -External links:* *...
. The stadium will be completed in 2012 and is currently listed as a site for matches to be played at UEFA Euro 2016
UEFA Euro 2016
The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2016, will be the 15th European Championship for national football teams sanctioned by UEFA. It will be held in the summer of 2016. The host nation was announced to be France on 28 May 2010...
.
Stadium history
- Stade Henri Jooris (1944–1974)
- Stade Grimonprez JoorisStade Grimonprez JoorisStade Grimonprez-Jooris was a multi-purpose stadium in Lille, France built in 1974. It was used mainly for football matches as it was home to the Lille OSC football club from 1975 until 2004, when the stadium was closed....
(1974–2004) - Stade Lille-Metropole (2004–2012)
- Grand Stade Lille Métropole (2012–onward)
Current squad
As of 31 August 2011.Out on loan
Reserve squad
As of 27 January 2011.Notable players
Below are the notable former players who have represented Lille 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 1926. 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 Lille OSC players, see :Category:Lille OSC players
Jocelyn Angloma
Jocelyn Angloma
Jocelyn Angloma is a French-Guadeloupean football defender currently playing for a Guadeloupean club, L'Etoile de Morne-à-l'Eau.He is fluent in French, Creole patois, English, Italian and Spanish.- Career :...
Jean Baratte
Jean Baratte
Jean Baratte was a French international footballer who played as striker, and manager. He is an historic player of Lille OSC and the twelfth goalscorer in Ligue 1.-Titles:As a player...
Philippe Bergeroo
Philippe Bergeroo
Philippe Bergeroo is a former football goalkeeper from France, who earned a total number of three international caps for the French national team during the late 1970s, early 1980s. He was a member of the French squad in the 1986 FIFA World Cup...
Guillaume Bieganski
Guillaume Bieganski
Guillaume Bieganski is a French association football defender of Polish origin.-References:* *...
Jules Bigot François Bourbotte
François Bourbotte
François Bourbotte was a professional French footballer.-References:*...
Yohan Cabaye
Yohan Cabaye
Yohan Cabaye is a French international footballer player who plays for English club Newcastle United in the Premier League and the French national team. He plays as a box-to-box midfielder and is described as a player who possesses "excellent vision, great ball control", and "provides technical...
Benoît Cheyrou
Benoït Cheyrou
Benoît Cheyrou is a French football player who currently plays for Olympique de Marseille in Ligue 1. He plays as a central midfielder and often acts as a deep-lying playmaker for the attack. Cheyrou is known for his vision, distribution, and assists...
Bruno Cheyrou
Bruno Cheyrou
Boludo Cheyrou is a professional French footballer, who currently plays for FC Nantes.-Career:...
Christian Coste
Christian Coste
Christian Coste is a former professional French footballer.-External links:**...
Yvon Douis
Yvon Douis
Yvon Douis is a former French international footballer.During his career he played for Lille OSC , Le Havre AC , AS Monaco and AS Cannes...
François Heutte
François Heutte
François Heutte is a French former football striker. He played for France in the Euro 1960.-References:* *...
Joseph Jadrejak
Joseph Jadrejak
Joseph Jadrzejczak, known as Joseph Jadrejak , is a former French international footballer and manager who played as a defender, and was part of the famed Lille team of the late 1940s.- Biography :He moved to France with his family when he was two years old.In the...
Bernard Lama
Bernard Lama
Bernard Pascal Maurice Lama is a French football coach and former goalkeeper. He was born in the Indre-et-Loire département but grew up in French Guiana. He spent a number of years in goal for Lille and Paris Saint-Germain...
Jean Lechantre
Jean Lechantre
Jean Lechantre is a Belgian born French retired footballer. He played club football most notably with Lille and CO Roubaix-Tourcoing and was capped three times for France; he ended his career as a player-coach for AC Cambrai and CO Roubaix-Tourcoing.-References:*...
André Strappe
André Strappe
André Strappe was a French footballer who played striker, and later served as a manager....
Jean Vincent Nourredine Kourichi Éric Assadourian
Éric Assadourian
Eric Assadourian is a French born Armenian former football striker. He was a member of the Armenia national team, and has participated in 11 international matches and scored 3 goals since his debut on 5 October 1996 in an away 1998 World Cup qualification match against Northern...
Mile Sterjovski
Mile Sterjovski
Mile Sterjovski is an Australian football player, who currently plays for Perth Glory and played for the Australian national team from 2000 to 2010, before he retired from international football after his non-selection for the 2010 FIFA World Cup...
Erwin Vandenbergh
Erwin Vandenbergh
Erwin Vandenbergh was a Belgian footballer. Between 1981 and 1991, he finished six times topscorer of the Belgian First Division, with three different clubs . In 1981 he was European topscorer with 39 goals out of 34 games...
Michel Bastos Jean II Makoun Per Frandsen
Per Frandsen
Per Frandsen is a Danish former professional football player, who won the 1995 Danish Cup with F.C. Copenhagen, and played 265 league games as a midfielder for Bolton Wanderers in England...
Jakob Friis-Hansen
Jakob Friis-Hansen
Jakob Friis-Hansen is a Danish former international football player.He is an old friend of former England forward Teddy Sheringham.He was formerly a scout for Liverpool FC....
Cor van der Hart
Cor van der Hart
Cor van der Hart was a Dutch footballer. He is known as one of the best defenders of the Dutch national team in history, who was physically strong, who read the game very well and who had a quality kicking technique....
Tony Sylva
Tony Sylva
Tony Mario Sylva is a Senegalese footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. He is currently unattached. Sylva has played for AC Ajaccio, AS Monaco, Lille and Trabzonspor.- AS Monaco :...
Stanislav Karasi
Stanislav Karasi
Stanislav Karasi is a Serbian striker who played at FIFA World Cup 1974 for SFR Yugoslavia....
Boro Primorac
Boro Primorac
Boro Primorac is a Croatian football coach and a former Yugoslav international player. Currently, he is the first team coach at Arsenal....
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:...
Management and staff
Lille Olympique Sporting Club Lille Métropole (SASP)- President: Michel SeydouxMichel SeydouxMichel Seydoux is a French businessman and movie producer. He also serves as the president and chairman of French club Lille OSC. Seydoux is the grandson of scientist Marcel Schlumberger and has two brothers; Jérôme and Nicolas. Jérôme is a shareholder on football club Olympique Lyonnais.-External...
- President Adviser: Jean-Michel Van Damme
- Deputy Director: Frédéric Paquet, Didier de Climmer
- Assistant Deputy Director: Sandrine de Castro, Sophie Kaszkowiak
Senior club staff
- Administrative Director: Julien Mordacq
- Sporting Director: Frédéric Paquet
- Financial Director: Reynald Berghe
- Communications Director: Aurélien Delespierre
- Operations Director: Didier de Climmer
- Marketing Director: Guillaume Gallo
Coaching and medical staff
- Manager: Rudi GarciaRudi GarciaRudi 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...
- Recruitment Director: Jean-Luc Buisine
- Doctor: Franck Legall
- Academy Director: Jean-Michel Van Damme
Managerial history
Former coaches include Georges HeylensGeorges Heylens
Georges Heylens is a former Belgian footballer. He played with R.S.C. Anderlecht and the Belgium national football team. He took part in the match between Belgium and the Netherlands in 1964, with 10 teammates from the Anderlecht team, after the substitution of goalkeeper Delhasse by Jean...
(1984–1989), a former Belgian international player, Jacques Santini (1989–92), who managed France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
between 2002 and 2004, Bruno Metsu
Bruno Metsu
Bruno Metsu , also known as Abdul Karim, is a retired French footballer and is the current manager of Qatari side Al-Gharafa...
(1992–93), who managed Senegal in the 2002 World Cup, Pierre Mankowski (1993–1994), who was formerly the assistant coach of the French national team and Vahid Halilhodžić
Vahid Halilhodžic
Vahid "Vaha" Halilhodžić is a former Bosnian football player and now a manager, currently managing the Algeria national football team....
(1998–2002), who can be credited with the club's revival in the late nineties.
The current coach, 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...
, who played for Lille from 1980–1988, replaced Claude Puel
Claude Puel
Claude Puel is a French football manager and former player. He spent 17 years playing for AS Monaco.-Managerial career:...
at the beginning of the 2008 season. Puel had been with Lille since 2002. Thanks to his successes with the club, Puel had been approached by Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
club Porto to replace José Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
and league rivals Lyon to replace Alain Perrin; he finally decided to join Lyon after six seasons at the club.
| Dates | Name |
|---|---|
| 1944–1946 |  Georges Berry |
| 1946–1959 |  André CheuvaAndré Cheuva André Cheuva was a French footballer who played midfielder. After retiring he became a manager, and won 4 Coupe de France with Lille O.S.C..-References:*... |
| 1959 | Jacques Delepaut Jacques Delepaut Jacques Delepaut is a former French footballer born in 1926 in Tourcoing .He played as a defender for CO Roubaix-Tourcoing and Lille OSC, in the 1950s.He was caretaker manager of Lille, from December 1958 to June 1959.- References :... |
| 1959–1961 | Jules Vandooren |
| 1961–1962 | Jean Baratte Jean Baratte Jean Baratte was a French international footballer who played as striker, and manager. He is an historic player of Lille OSC and the twelfth goalscorer in Ligue 1.-Titles:As a player... |
| 1962–1963 | Guy Poitevin Guy Poitevin Guy Poitevin is a former French footballer and manager, born 19 October 1927 in Entrains-sur-Nohain and died 2 December 2008.A very tall defender, he played for Lille, before a brilliant career at Nice... |
| 1963–1966 | Jules Bigot |
| 1966 | Jean-Charles Van Gool |
| 1966–1969 | Daniel Langrand Daniel Langrand Daniel Langrand is a French footballer and coach born in 1922 in Tourcoing .Former goalkeeper for Olympique avignonnais, after the war, he later became a coach.... |
| 1969–1970 | Joseph Jedrejak |
| 1970–1973 | René Gardien René Gardien René Gardien is a former French footballer born 10 February 1928 in Chambéry , died 1 February 2006 . He played as an attacker at FC Sochaux and was remarkably efficient, he scored 122 league goals.-Playing career:* 1947-1959: FC Sochaux... |
| 1973–1976 | Georges Peyroche Georges Peyroche Georges Peyroche is a French football player and manager.-References:***... |
| 1976–1977 | Charles Samoy Charles Samoy Charles Samoy is a former French football player and manager. As a player, Samoy played for AC Denain, CO Roubaix-Tourcoing, Le Havre and Lille, and participated in the 1960 Summer Olympics. As a manager he enjoyed two spells in charge of Lille, from 1976 to 1977 and in 1997.-External links:**... |
| 1977–1982 | José Arribas |
| Dates | Name |
|---|---|
| 1982–1984 | Arnaud Dos Santos Arnaud Dos Santos Arnaud Dos Santos is a French former footballer and coach.He played for US Boulogne, FC Rouen, AS Monaco FC, FC Girondins de Bordeaux, Troyes AC and Lille OSC.... |
| 1984–1989 |  Georges HeylensGeorges Heylens Georges Heylens is a former Belgian footballer. He played with R.S.C. Anderlecht and the Belgium national football team. He took part in the match between Belgium and the Netherlands in 1964, with 10 teammates from the Anderlecht team, after the substitution of goalkeeper Delhasse by Jean... |
| 1989–1992 | Jacques Santini |
| 1992–1993 | Bruno Metsu Bruno Metsu Bruno Metsu , also known as Abdul Karim, is a retired French footballer and is the current manager of Qatari side Al-Gharafa... |
| 1993 |  Henryk KasperczakHenryk Kasperczak Henryk Wojciech Kasperczak is a Polish football manager and a football player.As a player, Kasperczak took part in two FIFA World Cups with Poland, achieving third place in 1974, as well as a silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada.As a manager, Kasperczak enjoyed most... |
| 1993–1994 | Pierre Mankowski |
| 1994–1995 | Jean Fernandez Jean Fernandez Jean Fernandez is a football manager, currently manages AS Nancy. He has previously managed FC Metz and Olympique Marseille, where French national team star Franck Ribéry saw him as a mentor... |
| 1995–1997 | Jean-Michel Cavalli Jean-Michel Cavalli Jean-Michel Cavalli is a French and Corsican licenced professional football manager and former football player.-Biography:... |
| 1997 | Hervé Gauthier Hervé Gauthier Hervé Gauthier is a retired French footballer and coach.He played for Stade Poitevin, Lille OSC, Stade Lavallois and RC Paris.... Charles SamoyCharles Samoy Charles Samoy is a former French football player and manager. As a player, Samoy played for AC Denain, CO Roubaix-Tourcoing, Le Havre and Lille, and participated in the 1960 Summer Olympics. As a manager he enjoyed two spells in charge of Lille, from 1976 to 1977 and in 1997.-External links:**... |
| 1997–1998 | 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:... |
| 1998–2002 |  Vahid HalilhodžićVahid Halilhodžic Vahid "Vaha" Halilhodžić is a former Bosnian football player and now a manager, currently managing the Algeria national football team.... |
| 2002–2008 | Claude Puel Claude Puel Claude Puel is a French football manager and former player. He spent 17 years playing for AS Monaco.-Managerial career:... |
| 2008–present | 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... |
Domestic
- Ligue 1Ligue 1Ligue 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....
- Champions (3): 1945–46, 1953–54, 2010–11
- Ligue 2Ligue 2Ligue 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...
- Champions (4): 1963–64, 1973–74, 1977–78, 1999–2000
- Coupe de FranceCoupe de FranceThe Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
- Champions (6): 1946, 1947, 1948, 1953, 1955, 20112011 Coupe de France FinalThe 2011 Coupe de France Final was the 93rd final of France's most prestigious football cup competition. The final took place on 14 May 2011 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis and was contested between Paris Saint-Germain and Lille...
- Runners-Up (2): 1945, 1949
- Champions (6): 1946, 1947, 1948, 1953, 1955, 2011
- 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 ....
- Champions (1): 1960
- Runners-Up (2): 1955, 2000
- Coupe Charles DragoCoupe Charles DragoThe Coupe Charles Drago was an elimination cup competition organised by the Ligue de Football Professionnel, between clubs that are knocked out before the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France. The tournament was founded in 1953 and was discontinued after the 1965 tournament.-Finals:Key-Results by...
- Runners-Up (2): 1954, 1956
Europe
- UEFA Intertoto CupUEFA Intertoto CupThe UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
- Winner (1): 2004
- Latin CupLatin CupThe Latin Cup was an international football tournament for club sides from the Latin European nations of France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. In 1949 the football federations came together and launched their own club competition...
- Runners-Up (1): 1951