Football Club Lorient Bretagne Sud (; commonly referred to FC Lorient or simply Lorient) is a
French association football club based in
Lorient, Brittany. The club was founded in 1926 and currently competes in
Ligue 1
Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. A ...
, the top flight of
French football, following promotion from
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 (, League 2), also known as Ligue 2 BKT due to sponsor (commercial), sponsorship by Balkrishna Industries, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions ...
in the
2019–20 season. Lorient plays its home matches at the Stade Yves Allainmat, named after the former mayor of Lorient. The stadium is surnamed
Stade du Moustoir
The Stade du Moustoir - Yves Allainmat, known as the Stade du Moustoir, is a multi-use stadium in Lorient, France. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of FC Lorient. The stadium can hold up to 18,110 with the ...
because of its location within the city. The team is managed by
Régis Le Bris
Regis Le Bris (born 6 December 1975) is a French football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of French Ligue 1
Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for ...
.
Lorient had a relatively bleak history nationally before 1998 when the club made its first appearance in
Ligue 1
Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. A ...
in the
1998–99 season. Before that, Lorient spent most of its life as an amateur club. Lorient's achieved its biggest honour in 2002 when the club won the
Coupe de France defeating
Bastia 1–0 in
the final. Lorient has never won Ligue 1, but has won the
Championnat National earning this honour in 1995. Regionally, the club has won five
Brittany Division d'Honneur titles and six Coupe de Bretagne.
Lorient has most notably served as a springboard club for several present-day internationals such as
Laurent Koscielny,
André-Pierre Gignac,
Michaël Ciani,
Kevin Gameiro
Kevin Dominique Gameiro (born 9 May 1987) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for Ligue 1 club Strasbourg. He is a strong striker who is known for his clinical finishing, which compensates for his relatively light frame.
...
,
Karim Ziani
Karim Koceila Yanis Ziani ( ar, كريم زياني; born 17 August 1982) is an Algerian former professional footballer. He played in different midfield positions but was best known as a playmaker. He is now the sporting director of JS Kabylie. ...
,
Bakari Koné,
Matteo Guendouzi, and
Seydou Keita.
French international Yoann Gourcuff, the son of Christian Gourcuff, began his career at the club before moving to
Derby Breton rivals
Rennes
Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...
.
History
Football Club Lorient was founded on 2 April 1926. Lorient was formed off of ''La Marée Sportive'', a club founded a year earlier by Madame Cuissard, a store patron who originated from
Saint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne (; frp, Sant-Etiève; oc, Sant Estève, ) is a city and the prefecture of the Loire department in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
Saint-Étienne is the t ...
, and her son Joseph. The club began play as an amateur club under the
Czechoslovakian manager Jozef Loquay and won the ''Champions de l'Ouest'' in 1929, which placed the club into the Division d'Honneur of the
Brittany region. In 1932, Lorient won the league and, four years later, repeated this performance. The onset of World War II limited the club's meteoric rise in the region and the departure of several players who either joined the war effort or left to play abroad effectively disseminated the club.
Following the war,
Antoine Cuissard, the grandson of Madame Cuissard, joined the club as a player with intentions of rebuilding it in honour of his grandmother. Lorient began play in the Division d'Honneur. Cuissard began one of the first Lorient players to maintain a place in the
France national team
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area e ...
while playing with the club. In 1954, he played on the team that qualified for the
1954 FIFA World Cup
The 1954 FIFA World Cup was the fifth edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football tournament for senior men's national teams of the nations affiliated to FIFA. It was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerla ...
. Lorient quickly recovered and, by 1948, was playing in the
Championnat de France amateur
The Championnat National 2, commonly known as National 2 and formerly known as Championnat de France Amateur (CFA), is a football league competition. The league serves as the fourth tier of the French football league system behind Ligue 1, Ligue ...
(CFA). The club spent two years in the league before falling back to the Division d'Honneur. In 1957, Lorient was promoted back to the CFA, but struggled due to being limited financially. Subsequently, the club sought sponsors with the hopes of becoming professional. In 1967, under the chairmanship of both Jean Tomine and René Fougère, Lorient placed a bid to turn professional and was elected to
Division 2 by the French League. Incoming president Henri Ducassou agreed to do his best to make professionalism prosper in Lorient.
In the second division, Lorient struggled in the early seventies to consistently stay up in the league table. In the
1974–75 and
1975–76 seasons, the club came close to promotion to Division 1, finishing 3rd in its group on each occasion, one place short of the promotion play-offs. However,
the following season, Lorient was relegated to Division 3. The potential of that team had proved above its classification when the club qualified for its first French FA Cup quarter-finals in history. The club subsequently struggled financially and domestically. It went bankrupt in 1978. During this period, under the name "Club des Supporters du FC Lorient" (the supporters legally took over to keep the FC Lorient name alive), Lorient played in the Division Supérieure Régionale (sixth tier of the French football pyramid). In the early 1980s, Georges Guenoum took over the club as president and hired former Lorient player
Christian Gourcuff as manager. Surprisingly, under Gourcuff, Lorient quickly climbed back up the French football ladder. In 1983, the club won the Brittany Division d'Honneur title and, the following season, won Division 4. In 1985, they won Division 3 and so were back in Division 2 eight years after their demise at that level! Gourcuff left the club after its first Division 2 campaign, with relegation only being effective through an unfavourable goal difference. Lorient spent the next five years in Division 3 playing under two managers. It went financially bust again in 1990 but was nevertheless allowed to stay in Division 3. In 1991, Gourcuff returned to the club and after almost a decade playing in Division 3, Lorient earned promotion back to Division 2 after winning the second edition of the
Championnat National.
Lorient spent two seasons in the second division and, in the
1997–98 season, surprised many by running away with the league alongside champions
Nancy. The
1998–99 season marked Lorient's first appearance in Division 1 in the club's history. The appearance was brief with Lorient struggling to meet the financial demands and stronger competition of the league. The club finished in 16th place and were relegated. Amazingly, Lorient finished equal on points with
Le Havre with both clubs having the same number of wins, losses, and draws. However, due to Le Havre having a better goal difference, Lorient was relegated. After only two seasons in Division 2, Lorient were back in the first division for the
2001–02 season. Before the promotion, in April 2001, a takeover of the club led by Alain Le Roch led to internal problems, which resulted in the departure of Gourcuff and one of the club's best players,
Ulrich Le Pen
Ulrich Le Pen (born 23 January 1974) is a French former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He spent most of his career in his native France apart from a short stint at Ipswich Town.
Career
Born in Auray, Brittany, Le Pen began ...
, soon after. The club hired
Argentine
Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...
manager
Ángel Marcos to replace Gourcuff. However, Marcos lasted only a few months.
Despite the initial issues, Lorient strengthened its squad in preparation for its return to the first division by recruiting players such as
Pascal Delhommeau
Pascal Delhommeau (born 14 August 1978) is a French former professional football defender.
Career
Whilst at FC Nantes Delhommeau contributed 9 appearances as his side won 2000–01 French Division 1. He also played as a substitute when Nantes ...
,
Moussa Saïb,
Johan Cavalli
Johan Etienne Anthony Cavalli (born 12 September 1981) is a French former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Club career Early career
Whilst at Lorient Cavalli played as a substitute in the 2002 Coupe de France Final in which th ...
, and
Pape Malick Diop
Pape Malick Diop (born 29 December 1974) is a Senegalese former footballer who played as a defender. He played for Racing Strasbourg (France), Neuchâtel Xamax (Switzerland) and FC Lorient (France). At international level, he represented the S ...
. Led by
Yvon Pouliquen, the new signings joined the likes of
Jean-Claude Darcheville
Jean-Claude Jacques Ducan Darcheville (; born 25 July 1975) is a French Guianese former professional footballer who played as a striker. He played for various clubs in France, England, Scotland, and Greece. He represented French Guiana at the ...
,
Arnaud Le Lan
Arnaud Le Lan (born 22 March 1978 in Pontivy, France), is a football defender who last played for FC Lorient. He played his entire career in Brittany.
Club career
Le Lan started his professional footballing career with Ligue 1 club FC Lorie ...
, and
Seydou Keita and surprised many by reaching the final of the
Coupe de la Ligue
The Coupe de la Ligue (), known outside France as the French League Cup, was a Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in Football in France, French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel. The tournament was est ...
. Lorient was defeated by
Bordeaux in
the final. Lorient continued its impressive cup form by winning the
Coupe de France just two months later. In the match, Lorient faced
Bastia and defeated the
Corsica
Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...
ns 1–0 courtesy of a goal from Darcheville. The title was the club's first major honour. The celebration would however end on a sourer note as Lorient was relegated from league play in the same season. The club participated in the
UEFA Cup the following season, falling to Turkish side
Denizlispor in the first round on
away goals.
Lorient returned to the first division, now called Ligue 1, in 2006 with a completely revamped team. Instead of spending money on players, the club focused its efforts on improving its academy and promoted several players to the first-team such as
André-Pierre Gignac,
Virgile Reset,
Jérémy Morel
Jérémy Morel (born 2 April 1984) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Montagnarde. Born in France, he opted to represent the Madagascar national team internationally.
Club career
Lorient
Born in Lorient, Morel made h ...
, and
Diego Yesso during the club's stint in Ligue 2. Lorient was also influenced by the arrival of the
Malian international Bakari Koné. The club, in its return to Ligue 1, finished mid-table in three straight seasons. In the
2009–10 season, Lorient performed well domestically. In October 2009, the club reached 5th place in the table; its highest position that late in the season ever. Lorient eventually finished the campaign in 7th place; its best finish in Ligue 1.
In the 2016-2017
Ligue 1
Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. A ...
season, Lorient played against
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 (, League 2), also known as Ligue 2 BKT due to sponsor (commercial), sponsorship by Balkrishna Industries, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions ...
side
ES Troyes
Espérance Sportive Troyes Aube Champagne (ESTAC), commonly known as Troyes, is a French association football club, based in Troyes, who play in Ligue 1, the highest level of France's football league system, and plays its home matches at the ...
in the promotion/relegation play off match. Lorient lost the tie 2–1 and were relegated to
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 (, League 2), also known as Ligue 2 BKT due to sponsor (commercial), sponsorship by Balkrishna Industries, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions ...
after an 11 year stay in the top flight.
On 30 April 2020, Lorient were promoted to
Ligue 1
Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. A ...
after the LFP decided to end the seasons of both Ligue 1 and
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 (, League 2), also known as Ligue 2 BKT due to sponsor (commercial), sponsorship by Balkrishna Industries, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions ...
early due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Lorient were top of the Ligue 2 table at the time of the decision.
Players
Current squad
Out on loan
Reserve squad
Former players
''For a complete list of FC Lorient players with a Wikipedia article, see''
:FC Lorient players
Management and staff
Club officials
;Senior club staff
*President: Loïc Féry
*General Director: Arnaud Tanguy
*Sports coordinator:Aziz Mady Mogne
*Manager:
Régis Le Bris
Regis Le Bris (born 6 December 1975) is a French football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of French Ligue 1
Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for ...
*Assistant Manager:
Julien Outrebon
Julien Outrebon (born 16 June 1983) is a French football coach and former player who is the assistant manager of Lorient.
Career
Outrebon has played professionally in Ligue 2 for Amiens and Troyes.
After retiring at the end of the 2016–17 se ...
, Ingo Goetze
*Goalkeeper Coach:Olivier Lagarde ,
Ronald Thomas
*Scout:
Stéphane Pédron
Stéphane Pedron (born 20 February 1971) is a French former professional association football, footballer who played as a midfielder.
Career
Pedron was voted 1997–98 French Division 2 Player of the Season after helping FC Lorient, Lorient to ...
, Baptiste Drouet, Jérôme Fougeron
*Club Doctor:Vincent Detaille
*Medical Director Physiotherapy:Régis Bouyaux
Coaching history
Honours
Domestic
*
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 (, League 2), also known as Ligue 2 BKT due to sponsor (commercial), sponsorship by Balkrishna Industries, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions ...
**Champions:
2019–20
*
Championnat National
**Champions: 1994–95
*
Coupe de France
**Champions:
2001–02
*
Coupe de la Ligue
The Coupe de la Ligue (), known outside France as the French League Cup, was a Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in Football in France, French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel. The tournament was est ...
**Runners-up:
2001–02
*
Trophée des Champions
**Runners-up:
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
Regional
*Division d'Honneur (Bretagne)
**Champions (5): 1932, 1936, 1957, 1983, 1995
[The 1995 title was won by the club's reserve team.]
*Coupe de Bretagne
**Champions (6): 1958, 1970, 1982, 1990, 2000, 2002
European football
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lorient, FC
Sport in Lorient
Association football clubs established in 1926
1926 establishments in France
Football clubs in Brittany
Ligue 1 clubs