View source for FC Sète 34

{{Update|date=August 2024}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox football club
| clubname = Sète 34
| image = FC Sète 34 logo.svg
| upright = 0.8
| alt = Logo
| fullname = Football Club de Sète 34
| nickname = Les dauphins or Verts<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://footnickname.wordpress.com/2022/02/19/714-fc-sete-les-dauphins/|title=#714 – FC Sète : les Dauphins|date=19 February 2022|language=fr|publisher=Footnickname|access-date=7 September 2022|archive-date=20 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920171206/https://footnickname.wordpress.com/2022/02/19/714-fc-sete-les-dauphins/|url-status=live}}</ref><br>blancs
| founded = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1914}}
| dissolved= {{Start date and age|df=yes|2023}}
| ground = [[Stade Louis Michel]], Sète
| capacity = 8,500
| website = {{URL|http://fcsete34.com}}
}}
'''FC Sète 34''' was a French [[association football|football]] club based in [[Sète]] and founded in 1901 as '''Olympique de Cette'''. The club won the French league title twice (in 1934 and 1939) and the French cup also twice (1930 and 1934). In 1934 they became the first club to win the French league and cup double. At the time, they were using the [[Georges-Bayrou Stadium]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.docteur-es-sport.fr/enceintes-mythiques-le-stade-georges-bayrou-de-sete-la-mecque-du-football/|title=Enceintes mythiques : le stade Georges Bayrou de Sète " la mecque du football "|date=27 September 2013|publisher=Docteur ès sport|language=fr|access-date=18 December 2015|archive-date=15 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615032430/http://www.docteur-es-sport.fr/enceintes-mythiques-le-stade-georges-bayrou-de-sete-la-mecque-du-football/|url-status=live}}</ref> Until 1960, the club played a major role in the French football championship, but due to financial issues, it was forced to give up professional status. From the 1970s until 2005, the club played in secondary levels, before accessing [[Ligue 2]] for one season after finishing at the 3rd rank of [[Championnat National]]. The club last played in [[Championnat National 2]], the fourth tier of French football, at [[Stade Louis Michel]] in the town. 

In July 2023 the club was placed into judicial liquidation, with the [[French Football Federation|FFF]] refusing a newly formed association the rights to continue with the FC Sète name. 

==History==
The club was founded in 1901 as '''Olympique de Cette'''. It ceased activities due to the war in 1914, restarting as '''FC de Cette'''. The club was champion of the Ligue du Sud-Est for seven consecutive years from the inception of the competition in 1920 until 1926. In 1928 the name of the town changed from Cette to Sète, and the football club was renamed '''FC Sète'''. The club reached consecutive [[Coupe de France]] finals in 1929 and 1930, losing 2–0 to [[SO Montpellier]] in the first before winning the trophy against [[Racing Club de France football Colombes 92|Racing Club de France]] 3–1 after extra time.<ref name=officialhist>{{cite web|url=http://fcsete34.com/historique/|title=Historique|publisher=FC Sète 34 Official site|language=fr|access-date=10 April 2018|archive-date=27 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827161511/http://fcsete34.com/historique/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1932 the club were founder members of the professional [[1932–33 French Division 1|Division 1]]. They finished 4th in the group. The following season they won the [[1933–34 French Division 1|Division 1]] and {{interlanguage link|lt=Coupe de France|1933–34 Coupe de France|fr|Coupe de France de football 1933-1934}} double, becoming the first club to do so. They won their second Division 1 title in [[1938–39 French Division 1|1939]], the last time the competition was played before World War II.<ref name=officialhist/>

After the war, the club did not regain its previous heights, finishing no higher than 10th in Division 1, before relegation came in [[1953–54 French Division 1|1954]]. After six years in [[French Division 2|Division 2]] the club relinquished its professional status and reformed as an amateur team at level two of the regional league (tier seven of the French league structure).<ref name=officialhist/>

The club spent six years in the same regional division before securing three promotions in four years to return to national Division 2 for the [[1970–71 French Division 2|1970–71 season]]. A further six seasons followed before relegation to Division 3 in 1977. The club returned to Division 2 as champions of the south group of Division 3 in 1983 and spent six seasons at that level.<ref name=officialhist/>

At the end of the [[1988–89 French Division 2|1988–89]] season, FC Sète were administratively relegated for financial reasons after finishing 15th in group B. The club was officially renamed '''FC de Sète 34''', restarted in Division 3, and moved to their current stadium [[Stade Louis Michel]]. They remained at the third level of French football until 1997 when a second administrative relegation dropped them to the fourth level, now named [[Championnat de France Amateur]]. After four seasons at this level, they won promotion back to [[Championnat National]] in 2001, as champions of group B. In 2005 a 3rd-place finish was enough for promotion to [[Ligue 2]], but the club played just one season at this level before returning to the Championnat National at the end of the [[2005–06 Ligue 2|2005–06 season]].<ref name=officialhist/>

A third administrative relegation, again for financial reasons, followed in 2009, and the club reformed for the 2009–10 season in the [[Division d'Honneur]] of the Languedoc-Roussillon regional league (tier 6).<ref>[http://www.foot-national.com/flashes-9574.html Sete Ca sera en DH] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090829003719/http://www.foot-national.com/flashes-9574.html |date=29 August 2009 }} ''foot-national.com''.</ref> In 2012 they were promoted to [[Championnat de France Amateur 2]] as champions of the Division d'Honneur and in 2014 they won promotion to Championnat de France Amateur, now called [[Championnat National 2]].<ref name=officialhist/> The club gained promotion to the [[Championnat National]] in the 2019–20 season, after being placed at the top of [[2019–20 Championnat National 2]] Group C when the season was terminated early due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.midilibre.fr/2020/04/16/arret-du-foot-amateur-le-fc-sete-promu-en-national,8849620.php|title=Arrêt du football amateur, le FC Sète est promu en National|publisher=Midi Libre|language=fr|date=16 April 2020|access-date=5 May 2020|archive-date=23 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200423113124/https://www.midilibre.fr/2020/04/16/arret-du-foot-amateur-le-fc-sete-promu-en-national,8849620.php|url-status=live}}</ref>

The club were relegated from the Championnat National by the [[Direction Nationale du Contrôle de Gestion]] at the end of the [[2021–22 Championnat National|2021–22 season]], on the grounds of financial mismanagement.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.footamateur.fr/dncg-le-fc-sete-34-est-relegue-en-national-2/|title=DNCG. Le FC Sète 34 est relégué en National 2 !|publisher=footamateur.fr|language=fr|date=28 June 2022|access-date=15 July 2022|archive-date=28 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628163345/https://www.footamateur.fr/dncg-le-fc-sete-34-est-relegue-en-national-2/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.footamateur.fr/dncg-sete-jouera-en-national-2-bastia-borgo-repeche-en-national/|title=DNCG. Sète jouera en National 2, Bastia-Borgo repêché en National|publisher=footamateur.fr|language=fr|date=12 July 2022|access-date=15 July 2022|archive-date=13 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220713125851/https://www.footamateur.fr/dncg-sete-jouera-en-national-2-bastia-borgo-repeche-en-national/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The club hit financial troubles again during the 2022–23 season, being placed in receivership in April 2023 after a failed takeover, and estimated year-end debt of €700,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.midilibre.fr/2023/04/11/football-le-fc-sete-place-en-redressement-judiciaire-par-le-tribunal-de-montpellier-11126626.php|title=Le FC Sète en redressement judiciaire : pourquoi c'est un moindre mal pour le club héraultais|publisher=Midi Libre|language=fr|date=11 April 2023|access-date=19 July 2023|archive-date=19 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230719143218/https://www.midilibre.fr/2023/04/11/football-le-fc-sete-place-en-redressement-judiciaire-par-le-tribunal-de-montpellier-11126626.php|url-status=live}}</ref> Placed in judicial liquidation on 6 July 2023, the [[French Football Federation]] refused permission for the new organisation to continue the FC Sète name, and a new association ''Sporting Club Sétois'' was formed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://footamateur.ouest-france.fr/le-sporting-club-setois-va-desormais-remplacer-le-fc-sete/|title=Le Sporting Club Sétois va désormais remplacer le FC Sète !|publisher=Foot Amateur|language=fr|date=19 July 2023|access-date=19 July 2023|archive-date=19 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230719143248/https://footamateur.ouest-france.fr/le-sporting-club-setois-va-desormais-remplacer-le-fc-sete/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Former players===
{{For|a complete list of FC Sète 34's former players|Category:FC Sète 34 players}}

==Managerial history==
{{columns-list|colwidth=22em|
* [[Ivan Bek]] 1928–1931, 1932–1935 
* [[Sydney Regan]] 1929–1933
* [[René Dedieu]] 1933–1936
* [[Joseph Azema]] 1936–1937
* [[Jean Marmiès]] 1937–1939
* [[Louis-Pierre Cazal]] 1939–1940
* [[Elie Rous]] 1940–1943
* [[Ljubiša Stefanović]] 1943–1946
* [[Gabriel Féron]] 1946–1947
* [[Pierre Danzelle]] 1947–1948
* [[Emile Féjean]] 1948–1949
* [[Elie Rous]] 1949–1950
* [[Marcel Tomazover]] 1950–1954
* [[István Závodi]] 1954–1955
* [[Désiré Koranyi]] 1955–1956
* [[Gaston Plovie]] 1956–1958
* [[Domènec Balmanya]], 1958–60
* [[Marcel Tomazover]] 1960–1965
* [[René Mandaron]] and [[Gaston Plovie]] 1965–1969
* [[Jacky Bernard]] 1969–1970
* [[Dominique Marc]] and [[Gaston Plovie]] 1970–1972
* [[Xercès Louis]] 1972–1974
* [[Slobodan Milosavljević (footballer)|Slobodan Milosavljević]] 1974–1976
* [[Jules Miramond]] 1976–1977
* [[Gyula Nagy]] and [[Marcel Tomazover]] 1977–1978
* [[Camille Passi]] 1978–1980
* [[Claude Calabuig]] 1980–1983
* [[Yves Herbet]] 1983–1985
* [[Slobodan Milosavljević (footballer)|Slobodan Milosavljević]] 1985–1986
* [[Dominique Bathenay]] 1986–1988
* [[Claude Calabuig]] and [[Slobodan Milosavljević (footballer)|Slobodan Milosavljević]] 1988–1989
* [[Claude Calabuig]] 1989–1990
* [[Otmar Pellegrini]] 1990–1991
* [[Claude Calabuig]] 1991–1996
* [[Marc Bourrier]] 1996–1997
* [[Claude Calabuig]] 1997–2000
* [[Patrick Lebeau]] et [[Laurent Scala]] 2000–2001
* [[Laurent Scala]] 2001–2002
* [[Albert Rust (footballer)|Albert Rust]] 2002–2003
* [[Gilles Beaumian]] et [[Claude Calabuig]] 2003–2005
* [[Ludovic Batelli]] January 2006&nbsp;– March 2006
* [[Robert Buigues]] March 2006&nbsp;– June 2006
* [[Christian Sarramagna]] 2006–2007
* [[Thierry Laurey]] 2007–2008
* [[Frédéric Rémola]] 2008–2009
* [[Gilles Beaumian]] 2009–2010
* [[Mathieu Chabbert]] et [[Christophe Rouve]] 2010–2011
* [[Laurent Scala]] 2011–2015
* Jean-Luc Muzet 2016–2018
* Nicolas Guibal 2018– <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.actufoot.com/national/nicolas-guibal-fc-sete-on-a-capitalise-de-confiance/|title=Nicolas Guibal (FC Sète): On a Capitalisé de la Confiance|language=fr|publisher=actufoot.com|date=8 August 2018|access-date=5 May 2020|archive-date=13 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813124423/http://www.actufoot.com/national/nicolas-guibal-fc-sete-on-a-capitalise-de-confiance/|url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name=officialhist/>
}}

==Honours==
*Champion of France (highest level) : 1934, 1939
*Winner of the French Cup : 1930, 1934
*Finalist of Coupe de France : 1923, 1924, 1929, 1942
*Champion of Division d'Honneur Sud-Est : 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1968.
*Champion of USFSA Languedoc : 1907, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914.
*Champion of Division d'Honneur Languedoc-Roussillon : 2012
*Champion CFA2 Group G: 2014
*Champion CFA Group B: 2001
*Champion Division 3 South Group: 1983

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website|http://fcsete34.com}} {{in lang|fr}}

{{Championnat National 2 Group C}}
{{Championnat National}}
{{Original Ligue 1 Clubs}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sete}}
[[Category:FC Sète 34| ]]
[[Category:Association football clubs established in 1914]]
[[Category:1914 establishments in France]]
[[Category:Sport in Hérault]]
[[Category:Football clubs in Occitania (administrative region)]]
[[Category:Ligue 1 clubs]]
[[Category:2023 disestablishments in France]]
[[Category:Association football clubs disestablished in 2023]]
[[Category:Defunct football clubs in France]]