Le Havre AC

Le Havre
	File:Le Havre AC logo.png
Full name	Le Havre Athletic Club
Nickname(s)	Le club doyen (The Dean Club),; Les Ciel et Marine (The Sky-and-Navy)
Founded	1872; 152 years ago
Ground	Stade Océane, ; Le Havre
Capacity	25,178
Chairman	Vincent Volpe
Manager	Oswald Tanchot
League	Ligue 2
2017–18	Ligue 2, 4th
Website	Club website
Home colours	Away colours

Le Havre Athletic Club (French pronunciation: [lə avʁ]; commonly referred to as Le Havre) is a French association football club based in Le Havre, Normandy. The club was founded as an athletics and rugby club in 1872.^[1] Le Havre plays in Ligue 2, the second level of French football, and plays its home matches at the Stade Océane.

Le Havre made its football debut in France's first-ever championship in 1899 and, on its debut, became the first French club outside Paris to win the league. The club won the league the following season in 1900. Le Havre has yet to win the current first division of French football, Ligue 1, but has participated in the league 24 times; its last stint being during the 2008–09 season. The club's highest honour to date was winning the Coupe de France in 1959. Le Havre is captained by defender Steven Fortès.

The main rivalries of Le Havre are the "Derby Normand" with SM Caen and an always heated clash with Lens, located in the region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

History

It was in 1872 that a group of British residents formed Le Havre Athlétique,^[2] which played a hybrid form of football, a cross between rugby and association football, called "combination". Association football began being played on a regular basis in 1894.

In 1899, Le Havre became the first club from outside Paris to become French football champions. At the time the championship was organised by the USFSA. After being awarded a win over Iris Club Lillois in the semi-final by walkover, they were awarded the title after also receiving a walkover in the final against Club Français.^[3] They would also win the following year, with the final being a "re-match" of the forfeited 1899 final.

The club is famous for its notable youth investment program which develops and nurtures young talent,^{[citation needed]} with the vision of using them in the first team if they show enough promise. A vast amount of good young talent has gone on to make an impact at international level including Benjamin Mendy, Ibrahim Ba, Jean-Alain Boumsong, Lassana Diarra, Riyad Mahrez, Steve Mandanda, Vikash Dhorasoo, Paul Pogba and Dimitri Payet.

The club was on the receiving end of some high-profile illegal transfers, by which Charles N'Zogbia, Matthias Lepiller and Paul Pogba were signed by other clubs, allegedly without the proper compensation being paid.^{[citation needed]} The first two were arbitrated by FIFA, who ordered Newcastle United and Fiorentina to pay training compensation.

Club culture

Le Havre is known as 'les ciel et marine' in France, which translates as 'the sky and navy blues'. These colours were chosen by the club's English founders as they were those of their alma maters, the universities of Oxford and Cambridge: the anthem of the club is played to the melody of "God Save the Queen" to mark the English origins of the club:

"A jamais le premier
de tous les clubs français
ô H.A.C.
Fiers de tes origins
Fils d'Oxford et Cambridge
deux coulours font nôtre prestige
Ciel et marine!"

English translation:

"The first ever
of all French clubs
The H.A.C
Proud of your roots
Son of Oxford and Cambridge
two colors make our prestige
(the colors of the) sky and the sea!"

Players

Current squad

As of 2 September 2018.^[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	MLI	Oumar Sissoko
2	DF	BRA	Léo Príncipe (on loan from Corinthians)
3	DF	FRA	Kelly Irep
4	DF	FRA	Harold Moukoudi
5	DF	CGO	Fernand Mayembo
6	MF	CIV	Christ Tiéhi
7	MF	FRA	Jean-Pascal Fontaine
8	MF	ALG	Zinedine Ferhat
10	FW	FRA	Alan Dzabana
11	FW	ZIM	Tino Kadewere
12	FW	CGO	Bevic Moussiti-Oko
13	FW	GHA	Ebenezer Assifuah
14	FW	SEN	Jamal Thiaré
15	DF	FRA	Samba Camara
16	GK	GLP	Yohann Thuram-Ulien


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
17	MF	FRA	Alexandre Bonnet
18	MF	CAF	Amos Youga
19	DF	BFA	Yacouba Coulibaly
20	DF	FRA	Baba Traoré
21	DF	FRA	Dénys Bain
22	MF	FRA	Victor Lekhal
23	DF	TUR	Özer Özdemir
24	MF	FRA	Pape Gueye
25	DF	HUN	Barnabás Bese
27	MF	FRA	Romain Basque
28	FW	FRA	Alimani Gory
29	FW	FRA	Hervé Bazile
30	GK	FRA	Yahia Fofana
50	GK	FRA	Arnaud Balijon

Out on loan

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


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	DF	FRA	Bradley Danger (on loan to Avranches)

Reserve squad

As of 10 October 2018.^[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	CAN	Nikola Curcija
—	GK	ANG	André Costa Da Silva
—	DF	SEN	Arouna Sangante
—	DF	FRA	Woyo Coulibaly
—	DF	FRA	Allan Hauguel
—	DF	FRA	David Gesseau
—	MF	FRA	Himad Abdelli
—	MF	FRA	Seref-Can Buyuk


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	MF	FRA	Mamadou Fofana
—	MF	FRA	Ateef Konate
—	MF	FRA	Zoumana Touré
—	FW	FRA	Theo Epailly
—	FW	FRA	Brandon Hoareau
—	FW	FRA	Alvin Le Corre
—	FW	FRA	Cheikh Diaby

Honours

File:Le Havre Athletic Club logo.svg

former logo

Ligue 2
- Winners (5): 1938, 1959, 1985, 1991, 2008
- Runners-up (1): 1950
Coupe de France
- Winners (1): 1959
- Runners-up (1): 1920
USFSA Championnat
- Winners (3): 1899, 1900, 1919
Challenge international du Nord
- Winners (1): 1900
Coupe Nationale
- Winners (2): 1918, 1919
Challenge des Champions
- Winners (1): 1959

Managerial history

George Kimpton (1921–26)^[6]
Mac Burgess (1934–35)
George McLachlan (1935–36)
Josef "Pépi" Schneider (1936–39)
George Kimpton (1945–46)
Jean Cornelli (1946–47)
Roger Magnin (1948–49)
Jules Bigot (1950–52)
Elek Schwartz (1952–53)
René Bihel (1953–54)
Edmond Delfour (1954–55)
Roger Magnin (1955–56)
Théo Bisson (1956–57)
Lucien Jasseron (1957–62)
Eduardo Di Loreto (1962–63)
Arie Devroedt (1963–64)
Christian Villenave (1964–66)
Max Schirschin (1970–71)
Gino Corlani (1971–72)
Fredo Garel (1972–73)
Léonce Lavagne (1973–74)
Edmond Baraffe (1974–76)
Léonce Lavagne (1976–82)
Yves Herbet (1982–83)
Didier Notheaux (1983–88)
Pierre Mankowski (1988–93)
Guy David (1993–96)
René Exbrayat (1996–97)
Denis Troch (1997 – Oct 98)
Joël Beaujouan (Oct 1998–99)
Francis Smerecki (1999–00)
Joël Beaujouan (2000)
Thierry Uvenard, Philippe Sence and Bruno Baronchelli (Dec 2000)
Jean-François Domergue (Dec 2000–04)
Philippe Hinschberger (2004 – April 2005)
Thierry Uvenard (April 2005–07)
Jean-Marc Nobilo (2007–08)
Frédéric Hantz (2008–09)
Cédric Daury (2009 – Nov 2012)
Christophe Revault (Nov 2012 – Dec 2012)
Erick Mombaerts (Dec 2012 – Dec 2014)
Thierry Goudet (Dec 2014 – Sept 2015)
Bob Bradley (Nov 2015 – Oct 2016)
Oswald Tanchot (Oct 2016 –present)

References

^ Hernandez, Anthony (15 May 2009). "Avec Louvel," – via Le Monde.
^ "Historical Rugby Milestones – 1870s". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 14 May 2006.
^ "France - List of Champions". www.rsssf.com.
^ "Effectif". hac-foot.com. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
^ "Effectif". hac-foot.com. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
^ "France – Trainers of First and Second Division Clubs on RSSSF". Archived from the original on 31 May 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

External links

Official site Template:Fr icon

[1] Hernandez, Anthony (15 May 2009). "Avec Louvel," – via Le Monde.

[1870s-2] "Historical Rugby Milestones – 1870s". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 14 May 2006.

[3] "France - List of Champions". www.rsssf.com.

[4] "Effectif". hac-foot.com. Retrieved 1 July 2017.

[5] "Effectif". hac-foot.com. Retrieved 10 October 2018.

[6] "France – Trainers of First and Second Division Clubs on RSSSF". Archived from the original on 31 May 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

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