Paris FC

Paris Football Club (French pronunciation: ​[paʁi futbol klœb]), commonly referred to as Paris FC or simply PFC, is a French professional football club based in Paris. The club was founded in 1969 and competes in the Ligue 2, the second level of French football. Paris FC play their home matches at the Stade Charléty, which is located in the 13th arrondissement of Paris.

Not to be confused with Paris Saint-Germain F.C..
This article is about the men's football club. For the women's football team, see Paris FC (women).

Paris FC
Full nameParis Football Club
Founded1969 (1969)
GroundStade Charléty,
Paris
Capacity20,000
ChairmanPierre Ferracci
ManagerRené Girard
LeagueLigue 2
2019–20Ligue 2, 17th
WebsiteClub website

Paris FC was founded in 1969 and merged with Stade Saint-Germain to form Paris Saint-Germain in 1970. The current Paris FC exists as a result of the club splitting from Paris Saint-Germain in 1973. Unlike its counterpart, which has gone on to establish a solid foundation, Paris FC has struggled to establish itself, having spent the majority of its existence playing in the amateur divisions. The club's highest honour to date was winning its group in the Championnat de France amateur in 2006. Paris FC last played in Ligue 1 in the 1978–79 season.

Though Paris FC have struggled domestically, the club has served as a springboard for several youth players who have gone on to have successful professional careers. Notable players who started their careers at PFC include Jean-Christophe Thouvenel, Mamadou Sakho, Tijani Belaid, Aymen Belaïd and Gabriel Obertan. Sakho and the Belaïd brothers have since became senior internationals for their respective national teams, while Thouvenel went on to win a gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Manager Roger Lemerre started his managerial career with the club before leading France to titles at UEFA Euro 2000 and the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup.

History

In an effort to re-launch professional football in the city of Paris, Paris Football Club was founded on 1 August 1969. The objective of the club was to be playing in the first division by 1970. An attempted merger with CS Sedan Ardennes was refused so Paris went looking in the second division and, subsequently, merged with Stade Saint-Germain to form Paris Saint-Germain, the professional club that plays in Ligue 1. The current incarnation of Paris FC came into being in 1972 when the club split from Paris Saint-Germain after coming under pressure from the capital city's mayor, who refused to support a non-Parisian club (the club had originally been situated in nearby Saint-Germain-en-Laye). As a result, a bitter split occurred and both Paris FC and Paris Saint-Germain remained as separate football club with the main agreement being that Paris FC had the right to keep the splitting entity's first division and professional status, as well as all the professional players. Paris Saint-Germain were, on the other hand, administratively relegated to the third division and given all the former entity's amateur players.

At the beginning of the 1972–73 season, Paris were playing in the first division hosting matches at the Parc des Princes. Two seasons later, the club was relegated to the second division, which coincided with Paris Saint-Germain's rise to top-flight and the acquisition of the Parc des Princes. After four years of playing in Division 2, Paris returned to the first division for the 1978–79 season. However, the season was a difficult one and resulted in the club falling back to Division 2 after one season. Paris FC have since yet to return to the top-flight league of France.

In 1983, Paris FC, then led by the industrialist Jean-Luc Lagardère, merged with Racing Club de France. While Racing remained in the first division, the remaining entity that was PFC was administratively relegated to the fourth division. Due to having limited resources, Paris fell to the Division d'Honneur after one season and, subsequently, spent four seasons in the fifth division before returning to Division 4 in 1988. Another promotion the following season saw Paris earn a place in Division 3. Paris remained in the division for 12 years becoming inaugural members of the Championnat National in the process. In 2000, the club finished 17th and were relegated to the Championnat de France amateur. Paris spent six years in the league before returning to National for the 2006–07 season. After a successful 2014–15 campaign, the club gained promotion to Ligue 2, the French second division, alongside its local rival Red Star F.C. However, it would stay in Ligue 2 for only one year and was relegated back to the Championnat National for the 2016–17 season.

In the 2016–17 season, Paris FC made the playoff/relegation final against US Orleans but lost over the two legged game on aggregate. Paris FC were then administratively promoted to Ligue 2 after SC Bastia were demoted to the third division for financial irregularities.[1]. For the 2017/2018 Ligue 2 season, Paris FC finished 8th on the table but at one stage occupied the promotion places.[2]

In the 2018–19 season, Paris finished 4th and contested the plays-offs against RC Lens, but lost the penalty shoot-out after a 1–1 draw.[3]

Players

Current squad

As of 19 August 2020.[4]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  FRA Vincent Demarconnay
2 DF  TUN Ali Abdi
3 DF  FRA Jaouen Hadjam
5 MF  SEN Moustapha Name
6 MF  FRA Saïd Arab
7 FW  FRA Gaëtan Laura
8 MF  FRA Mario-Jason Kikonda
9 FW  FRA Lamine Diaby-Fadiga
10 MF  BFA Jonathan Pitroipa
11 MF  FRA Florian Martin
12 MF  MAD Lalaïna Nomenjanahary
13 DF  FRA Gaëtan Belaud
14 MF  MTQ Cyril Mandouki
No. Pos. Nation Player
15 DF  CIV Axel Bamba
17 DF  FRA Hugo Gambor
18 DF  SEN Youssoupha Ndiaye
19 DF  GUI Ousmane Kanté
20 MF  ALG Julien López
21 MF  FRA Morgan Guilavogui
23 MF  FRA Marvin Gakpa
24 FW  USA Patrick Koffi
27 DF  FRA Thibault Campanini
28 MF  FRA Richard Sila
29 DF  FRA Florent Hanin
30 GK  FRA Anthony Maisonnial

Reserve squad
As of 13 April 2019[5]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK  FRA Antoine Bedos
— GK  FRA Jean Nolla
— DF  FRA Jahny Coco
— DF  FRA Anthony Kavungu
— DF  GUI Mamoudou Kouyate
— DF  FRA Yanis Mayeux
— DF  FRA Sala Sidibe
— DF  FRA Jason Tré
— MF  FRA Lyes Hocine
— MF  FRA Jean Hugonet
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF  FRA Jérémy Mangonzo
— MF  FRA Dramane Saganoko
— MF  FRA Luca Spurio
— MF  FRA Alexandre Vieira
— FW  CMR Daniel benedicte Lebongo
— FW  SEN Dominique Miquilan
— FW  FRA Lucsin Makengo
— FW  FRA Roman Mivekannin
— FW  FRA Yoann Nkouka

Notable players

Below are the notable former players who have represented Paris and its predecessors in league and international competition since the club's foundation in 1969. To appear in the section below, a player must have played in at least 80 official matches for the club.

For a complete list of Paris players, see Category:Paris FC players

Ownership

Club hierarchy
As of 31 December 2013
Position Name
President Pierre Ferracci
Vice-president Christian Amara
Manager Christophe Taine

Managerial history

Honours
  • Championnat National
    • Runners-up (1): 2015
  • Division 3
    • Winners (1): 1974 (West group)[10]
  • Championnat de France amateur
    • Winners (1): 2006 (Group D)
  • Division 4
    • Runners-up (1): 1989
    • Winners (1): 1989 (Group F)
  • Division d'Honneur (Paris)
    • Champions (2): 1988, 2010[11]

Supporters

The club used to be the biggest and most well supported in the city, with over 20,000 supporter members at the time of the club's formation.[12]

In 1970 the club merged with Stade Saint-Germain to form Paris Saint-Germain F.C., but quickly left the merger. In the 1973 season, the first after leaving, the club still averaged an attendance of 13,202.[13] However, after that, the two clubs' fortuned varied drastically, and as PSG's popularity rose, PFC fell into obscurity and languished in the amateur divisions. It is only when it reached the third tier its popularity started growing again, however the club currently only attracts in the region of a few hundred to very low thousands fans for each match.[14]

In 2000s the club used to have a supporter group called Blue Wolves founded in 2008. Officially apolitical, they tended to have right-wing views. However they were disbanded in 2010 after several hooligan incidents occurred, the last of which during a match against FC Gueugnon.[15][16][17]

They were replaced by the group Old Clan, founded in 2010, and ultras group Ultras Lutetia founded in the summer of 2014. After the expulsion of PSG fans from Parc des Princes in 2010,[18] PFC has attracted some of that support, particularly from the left-wing group Virage Auteuil,[19] but also a few from right-wing group Boulogne Boys.

The fans have a friendship with fans of SR Colmar, in the past also fans of Stade Reims.

The club has rivalries with fellow neighbours US Créteil and Red Star F.C.[20] with whom they contest the Parisian derbies.[21] Although both clubs are officially apolitical, due to Red Star fans left-wing political tendencies and PFC's past right-wing political tendencies, the derby is particularly fierce. The derby with US Créteil is a geographical one as both clubs play in the southern suburbs of Paris.

References
  1. "Ligue 2: Paris FC Promoted To Second Division". www.thestoppagetime.com. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  2. "French Football League - Domino's Ligue 2 - League Table". Ligue1.com. Archived from the original on 10 March 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  3. "Lens qualifié au bout de la nuit ira à Troyes vendredi" (in French). foot-national.com. 21 May 2019.
  4. "Effectif et staff". Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  5. "Effectif National 3 – Saison 2018-2019" (in French). Paris FC. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  6. "France - Trainers of First and Second Division Clubs". www.rsssf.com. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  7. "Communiqué : Fabien Mercadal remplace Réginald Ray - Paris FC". parisfc.fr. 21 June 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  8. "Caen : Fabien Mercadal nouveau coach (off)" (in French). foot-national.com. 8 June 2018. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  9. "Paris FC: The new coach unveiled (off)" (in French). foot-national.com. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  10. Reserve team.
  11. The club's reserve team won the 2010 title.
  12. "PSG70 : Histoire du Paris Saint Germain". psg70.free.fr. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  13. "Paris-fc saison 1972 / 1973". www.footballstats.fr. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  14. GARCIA, Hugo DELOM et Vincent. "Qui s'en sortirait le mieux en L2?". lequipe.fr. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  15. "Loading..." www.camperemu.com. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  16. "Les hooligans du PFC". SOFOOT.com. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  17. "Des hooligans gâchent la sortie du PFC - Le Parisien". Leparisien.fr. 22 May 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  18. "Paris is Earning - The Classical". theclassical.org. Archived from the original on 31 January 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  19. "Quand les supporters du PSG se retrouvent autour du PFC". www.20minutes.fr. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  20. Le Red Star remporte le derby Capital
  21. "On a assisté au derby Paris FC-Red Star". SOFOOT.com. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
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