View source for Le Mans FC

{{Short description|Association football club in France}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox football club
| clubname = Le Mans
| image = Le Mans FC logo.svg
| upright = 0.8
| fullname = Le Mans Football Club
| nickname = ''MUC 72''<br>''Les Mucistes''<br>''Les Sang et Or'' (The Blood and Golds)
| founded = {{start date and years ago|1985|6|12|df=yes}}
| dissolved = 
| ground = [[Stade Marie-Marvingt]]
| capacity = 25,064
| chairman = Thierry Gomez
| manager = [[Patrick Videira]]
| league = {{French football updater|Le Mans}}
| season = {{French football updater|Le Mans2}}
| position = {{French football updater|Le Mans3}}
| website = {{URL|https://www.lemansfc.fr/|lemansfc.fr}}
| pattern_la1 = _LeMansFC2425h
| pattern_b1 = _LeMansFC2425h
| pattern_ra1 = _LeMansFC2425h
| pattern_sh1 = _LeMansFC2425h
| pattern_so1 = _Kappa_gold
| leftarm1 = FFFF00
| body1 = FF0000
| rightarm1 = FFFF00
| shorts1 = FF0000
| socks1 = FF0000
| pattern_la2 = _LeMansFC2425a
| pattern_b2 = _LeMansFC2425a
| pattern_ra2 = _LeMansFC2425a
| pattern_sh2 = _LeMansFC2425a
| pattern_so2 = _Kappa_black
| leftarm2 = FFFFFF
| body2 = FFFFFF
| rightarm2 = FFFFFF
| shorts2 = FFFFFF
| socks2 = FFFFFF
| pattern_la3 = 
| pattern_b3 = 
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| pattern_sh3 = 
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}}

'''Le Mans Football Club''' ({{IPA|fr|ləmɑ̃}}; commonly referred to as '''Le Mans FC''') is a [[Football in France|French]] professional [[association football|football]] club based in [[Le Mans]]. The club set to compete in [[Ligue 2]] from 2025–26, the second tier of French football after promotion from [[Championnat National]] in 2024–25. The club was founded in 1985 as a result of a merger under the name '''Le Mans Union Club 72''' (abbreviated as '''MUC 72'''). In 2010, Le Mans changed its name to Le Mans FC to coincide with the re-modeling of the club, which includes moving into a new stadium, the [[Stade Marie-Marvingt]], which opened in January 2011.<ref>[http://www.lfp.fr/actualiteLFP/lireArticle.asp?idArticle=14660 Le MUC 72 devient LEMANS FC]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091204002231/http://www.lfp.fr/actualiteLFP/lireArticle.asp?idArticle=14660 |date=4 December 2009 }}.</ref> The stadium is based in the interior of the [[Circuit de la Sarthe]], a famous circuit in the city.

The club were controversially relegated from [[2019–20 Ligue 2]] when the season was terminated early due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].

== History ==
[[:fr:Le Mans Sports Club|Le Mans Sports Club]] were founded in 1900, but it was not until 1908 that a [[association football|football]] club existed within it. Le Mans qualified for the [[:fr:Championnat de France de football 1910 (USFSA)|Championnat de la France]] in 1910, but were heavily overturned by Saint-Servan. Gaining a huge reputation up to World War I, Le Mans SC plunged into obscurity by World War II before joining the war league in 1942.

The football section of [[:fr:Union Sportive du Mans|Union Sportive du Mans]] was founded in 1903.

The current club was formed as a result of a merger between Union Sportive du Mans and Le Mans Sports Club, on 12 June 1985. Upon its foundation, former football player Bernard Deferrez was installed as manager. Le Mans UC spent the majority of its infancy in Ligue 2. In the [[2003–04 Ligue 1|2003–04 season]], the club achieved promotion to [[Ligue 1]] for the first time, but were immediately relegated. Le Mans returned to the first division for the [[2005–06 Ligue 1|2005–06 season]] and successfully remained in the league for the next four seasons. The club suffered relegation back to Ligue 2 in the [[2009–10 Ligue 1|2009–10 season]]. Midway through the campaign, on 2 December 2009, Le Mans announced that it was changing its name from Le Mans Union Club 72 to Le Mans FC.

Le Mans moved to the MMArena midway through the [[2010–11 Ligue 2|2010–11 season]], comfortably in the promotion spots for a return to Ligue 1, but a bad run sees them finish 4th, missing promotion on goal difference. The failure to achieve promotion is costly, as the club sees its payroll limited by the DNCG. Many players left, and relegation was only narrowly avoided. The club survived by appeal an attempt by DNCG to relegate them to [[Championnat National]]. The following [[2012–13 Ligue 2|season]] they were relegated on the field, and a long summer of legal battles saw them liquidated and reforming in [[Maine (province)]] Division d'Honneur as an amateur club.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lemansfc.fr/NotreClub/Histoire|title=L’épopée Sang et OR|language=fr|access-date=5 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306182936/http://www.lemansfc.fr/NotreClub/Histoire|archive-date=6 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Promotion to [[Championnat de France Amateur 2]] was achieved on the first attempt, and promotion from that division was only narrowly missed in 2014–15 and 2015–16. On the third attempt, promotion to the new [[Championnat National 2]] was obtained in [[2016–17 Championnat de France Amateur 2|2016–17]], when Le Mans finished as one of the best runners up in the competition. Le Mans was promoted for the second season in a row winning [[2017–18 Championnat National 2#Group D|Group D]] and being promoted to the [[2018–19 Championnat National]], the club would achieve a third consecutive promotion after successfully overcoming [[Gazélec Ajaccio]] in the [[Ligue 2]] relegation play-off final with a 3-2 aggregate score, swapping places with the Corsican club who, only three years before had been members of the top-flight themselves.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lemansfc.fr/index.php?section=actualites-contenu&actu=821|title=Actualité – LE MANS FC est en Ligue 2 !|website=lemansfc.fr|language=en|access-date=4 June 2019|archive-date=10 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190610212459/https://www.lemansfc.fr/index.php?section=actualites-contenu&actu=821|url-status=live}}</ref>

The club were in 19th place in Ligue 2 when the season was terminated early due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. Despite the club supporting an LFP proposal which would have seen Ligue 2 operate temporarily with 22 clubs, meaning they would stay in the division, the FFF ruled on 27 May 2020 that they were to be relegated to [[Championnat National]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foot-national.com/foot-la-ligue-2-avec-22-clubs-refusee-par-la-fff-134082.html|title=La Ligue 2 avec 22 clubs refusée par la FFF|publisher=foot-national.com|language=fr|date=27 May 2020|access-date=29 May 2020|archive-date=28 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528005242/http://www.foot-national.com/foot-la-ligue-2-avec-22-clubs-refusee-par-la-fff-134082.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 17 May 2025, Le Mans secured promotion to [[Ligue 2]] from next season after win against [[FC Versailles]] 2–0 in Final matchweek and return to second tier after five years absence.

== Players ==
=== Current squad ===
''As of 2 February 2025.''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://uk.soccerway.com/teams/france/le-mans-union-club-72/905/squad/ |title=Le Mans FC squad |website=Soccerway |publisher=Perform Group |access-date=21 December 2020 |archive-date=26 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426031057/https://uk.soccerway.com/teams/france/le-mans-union-club-72/905/squad/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lemansfc.fr/index.php?section=equipes-masculines|title=Équipe National|publisher=Le Mans FC|language=fr|access-date=21 December 2020|archive-date=9 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171009143511/https://www.lemansfc.fr/index.php?section=equipes-masculines|url-status=live}}</ref><!--Official squad page does not show numbers-->

{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no= 1|nat=FRA|name=Ewan Hatfout|pos=GK}}
{{Fs player|no= 3|nat=BEL|name=Vincent Burlet|pos=DF|other={{small|on loan from [[Lille OSC|Lille]]}}}}
{{Fs player|no= 5|nat=MTQ|name=Harold Voyer|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no= 6|nat=FRA|name=Edwin Quarshie|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no= 7|nat=COM|name=Zaïd Amir|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no= 8|nat=FRA|name=[[Alexandre Lauray]]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no= 9|nat=FRA|name=[[Antoine Rabillard]]|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=11|nat=FRA|name=Erwan Colas|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=12|nat=FRA|name=[[Anthony Ribelin]]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=15|nat=COD|name=Arnold Vula|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=16|nat=FRA|name=[[Nicolas Kocik]]|pos=GK}}
{{Fs player|no=17|nat=FRA|name=[[Samuel Yohou]]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=18|nat=FRA|name=Zakary Lamgahez|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=19|nat=FRA|name=[[Nathan Dekoke]]|pos=DF}}
{{Fs mid}}
{{Fs player|no=20|nat=FRA|name=Kembo Diliwidi|pos=FW|other={{small|on loan from [[RC Lens|Lens]]}}}}
{{Fs player|no=21|nat=FRA|name=Théo Eyoum|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=23|nat=FRA|name=[[Maxime Nonnenmacher]]|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=24|nat=FRA|name=Ali Ouchen|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=25|nat=SEN|name=Dame Guèye|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=26|nat=FRA|name=Brice Oggad|pos=FW}}
{{Fs player|no=27|nat=FRA|name=Martin Rossignol|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=29|nat=ALG|name=Adam Oudjani|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=30|nat=FRA|name=Augustin Delbecque|pos=GK}}
{{Fs player|no=31|nat=FRA|name=Nathan Tronchet|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=33|nat=FRA|name=Gabin Bernardeau|pos=MF}}
{{Fs player|no=34|nat=FRA|name=Jérémie Matumona|pos=DF}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=FRA|name=Noa Boissé|pos=DF}}
{{Fs end}}
{{notelist}}

=== Notable players ===
Below are the notable former players who have represented Le Mans and its predecessors in [[Ligue 1|league]] and international competition since the club's foundation in 1985. To appear in the section below, a player must have played in at least 100 official matches for the club.

''For a complete list of Le Mans players, see [[:Category:Le Mans FC players]]''
{{div col|colwidth=28em}}
*{{flagicon|France}} Arnaud Denis 
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Ludovic Baal]]
*{{flagicon|Ivory Coast}} [[Dagui Bakari]]
*{{flagicon|Guinea}} [[Ismaël Bangoura]]
*{{flagicon| Montenegro}} [[Marko Baša]]
*{{flagicon|France}} Régis Beunardeau
*{{flagicon|France}} Willy Bolivard
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Laurent Bonnart]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Grégory Cerdan]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Sébastien Corchia]]
*{{flagicon|Gabon}} [[Daniel Cousin]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Mathieu Coutadeur]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Vincent Créhin]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Joffrey Cuffaut]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Thomas Dasquet]]
*{{flagicon|Brazil}} [[Tulio De Melo]]
*{{flagicon|Ivory Coast}} [[Stéphane Diarra]]
*{{flagicon|Burkina Faso}} [[Moussa Doumbia (footballer, born 1989)|Moussa Doumbia]]
*{{flagicon|Ivory Coast}} [[Didier Drogba]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Tom Duponchelle]]
*{{flagicon|France}} Romain Dupont
*{{flagicon|Norway}} [[Dan Eggen]]
*{{flagicon|Cameroon}} [[Patrick Ekeng|Patrick Ekeng Ekeng]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[James Fanchone]]
*{{flagicon|France}} Thibault Ferrand 
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Yannick Fischer]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Thierry Froger]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Eric Garcin]]
*{{flagicon|Brazil}} [[Antônio Géder]]
*{{flagicon|Ivory Coast}} [[Gervinho]]
*{{flagicon|Brazil}} [[Grafite]]
*{{flagicon|Morocco}} [[Hamza Hafidi]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Yohan Hautcoeur]]
*{{flagicon|Norway}} [[Thorstein Helstad]]
*{{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Roland Lamah]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Pierre Lemonnier (footballer)|Pierre Lemonnier]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Anthony Le Tallec]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Cyriaque Louvion]]
*{{flagicon|Mali}} [[Modibo Maïga]]
*{{flagicon|Japan}} [[Daisuke Matsui]]
*{{flagicon|Gabon}} [[Didier Ovono]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Fabrice Pancrate]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Pierre Patron]]
*{{flagicon|France}} Olivier Pédémas
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Yohann Pelé]]
*{{flagicon|France}} Christian Penaud
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Laurent Peyrelade]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Yoann Poulard]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Réginald Ray]]
*{{flagicon|Ivory Coast}} [[Romaric N'Dri Koffi|Romaric]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Stéphane Samson]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Morgan Sanson]]
*{{flagicon|Benin}} [[Stéphane Sessègnon]]
*{{flagicon|Cameroon}} [[Jacques Songo'o]]
*{{flagicon|Ivory Coast}} [[Mamadou Soro]]
*{{flagicon|Norway}} [[Fredrik Strømstad]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Frédéric Thomas (footballer)|Frédéric Thomas]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Olivier Thomas]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Olivier Thomert]]
*{{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Patrick Van Kets]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Alexandre Vardin]]
*{{flagicon|France}} [[Stéphen Vincent (footballer)| Stéphen Vincent]]
*{{flagicon|Algeria}} [[Hassan Yebda]]
*{{flagicon|Ivory Coast}} [[Mekeme Tamla Ladji|Zito]]
{{div col end}}

== Former managers ==
{{columns-list|colwidth=28em|
*[[Mony Braustein]] (1945–46)
*? (1946–47)
*[[Émile Rummelhardt]] (1947–51)
*[[Gaston Choulet]] (1951–52)
*[[Gabriel Corsaletti]] (1952–53)
*[[Camille Libar]] (1953–57)
*[[André Grillon]] (1957–64)
*[[René Dereuddre]] (1964–76)
*[[Alain Laurier]] (1976–79)
*Michel Rodriguez (1979–81)
*[[André Guttierez]] (1981–85)
*[[Bernard Deferrez]] (1985–86)
*[[Christian Gourcuff]] (Jun 86 – Jan 89)
*[[Christian Létard]] (Jan 1989 – Jan 94)
*[[Thierry Froger]] (Jan 1994 – May 97)
*[[Slavoljub Muslin|Slavo Muslin]] (Jun 1997 – Nov 97)
*[[Marc Westerloppe]] (Nov 1997 – Nov 2000)
*[[Alain Pascalou]] (Nov 2000 – Dec 2000)
*[[Thierry Goudet]] (Dec 2000 – Feb 2004)
*[[Daniel Jeandupeux]] (Feb 2004 – Dec 2004)
*[[Frédéric Hantz]] (Dec 2004–07)
*[[Rudi Garcia]] (2007–08)
*[[Yves Bertucci]] (2008–09)
*[[Daniel Jeandupeux]] (2009)
*[[Arnaud Cormier]] (2009)
*[[Paulo Jorgé Rebelo Duarte|Paulo Duarte]] (2009)
*[[Arnaud Cormier]] (2009–2011)
*[[Denis Zanko]] (2011–2013)
*[[Régis Beunardeau]] (2013)
*[[Stéphane Guédet]] (2013–2014)
*[[Alexandre Clément]] (2014–2015)
*[[Richard Déziré]] (2015–2020)
*[[Réginald Ray]] (2020)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foot-national.com/foot-le-mans-ray-enclencher-une-nouvelle-dynamique-130739.html|title=Le Mans - Ray : "Enclencher une nouvelle dynamique"|publisher=foot-national.com|language=fr|date=2 March 2020|access-date=29 May 2020|archive-date=3 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200303163647/http://www.foot-national.com/foot-le-mans-ray-enclencher-une-nouvelle-dynamique-130739.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foot-national.com/foot-le-mans-reginald-ray-s-en-va-off-134150.html|title=Le Mans : Reginald Ray s'en va (off)|publisher=foot-national.com|language=fr|date=28 May 2020}}</ref>
* [[Didier Ollé-Nicolle]] (2020–2021)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.footamateur.fr/national-le-mans-fc-a-trouve-son-entraineur/|title=National. Le Mans FC a trouvé son entraineur|publisher=footamateur.fr|language=fr|date=1 June 2020|access-date=1 June 2020|archive-date=10 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610054539/https://www.footamateur.fr/national-le-mans-fc-a-trouve-son-entraineur/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.footamateur.fr/national-le-mans-fc-se-separe-de-didier-olle-nicolle/|title=National. Le Mans FC se sépare de Didier Ollé-Nicolle|publisher=footamateur.fr|language=fr|date=17 May 2021|access-date=17 May 2021|archive-date=17 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517135609/https://www.footamateur.fr/national-le-mans-fc-se-separe-de-didier-olle-nicolle/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Cris (footballer, born 1977)|Cris]] (2021–2022)
}}

== Honours ==
* '''Division d'Honneur Ouest'''
** '''Winners''': 1961, 1965
* '''Division d'Honneur Maine'''
**'''Winners''': 2014
* [[Coupe Gambardella]]
** '''Winners''': [[Coupe Gambardella#Previous winners|2004]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{commons category}}

{{Ligue 2}}
{{Championnat National}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Le Mans Fc}}
[[Category:Le Mans FC| ]]
[[Category:Association football clubs established in 1985]]
[[Category:1985 establishments in France]]
[[Category:Football clubs in Pays de la Loire]]
[[Category:Ligue 1 clubs]]