Espérance Sportive Troyes Aube Champagne (ESTAC), commonly known as Troyes, is a
French association football club, based in
Troyes
Troyes () is a commune and the capital of the department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within the Champagne wine region and is near to ...
, who play 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 highest level of France's football league system, and plays its home matches at the
Stade de l'Aube. It was founded in 1986, as the third professional club from the city, after
AS Troyes-Savinienne Association Sportive Troyenne et Savinienne, also known as AS Troyes-Savinienne, was a French football club based in Troyes.
History
The club was formed in 1931 from the merger of Troyes club Union Sportive Troyenne and AS Savinienne, a club fro ...
and Troyes AF.
History
Previous clubs in Troyes (1900–1979)
The first ever football club in Troyes was created in 1900, as Union Sportive Troyenne (UST). In 1931, it merged with the AS Savinienne, a club from the suburbs of Troyes, to form the
Association Sportive Troyenne et Savinienne (ASTS). The newly formed club became professional in 1935, and joined
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 ...
.
The club reached
Première Division in 1954–55, under the guidance of manager and former international player
Roger Courtois
Roger Courtois (30 May 1912 – 5 May 1972) was a French football player and manager. He played as a striker.
International career
Born in Switzerland to French parents, Courtois represented the France national team at the FIFA World Cup 193 ...
(1952–1963), with players such as
Abdelaziz Ben Tifour
Abdelaziz Ben Tifour ( ar, عبدالعزيز بن طيفور; – ) was a professional French-Algerian footballer who played as a midfielder.
Life and career
He was a pioneer of Algerian football playing in Tunisia and France in the 40s and ...
,
Marcel Artelesa or
Pierre Flamion
Pierre Émile Flamion (13 December 1924 – 3 January 2004) was a French football manager and former player who played striker.
Honours As a player
Reims
* Division 1: 1948–49
*Coupe de France: 1949–50
Orders
*Chevalier of the Ordre nat ...
. It constituted one of the more glorious times for the club, as they reached the
Coupe de France
The Coupe de France, formerly known as the Coupe Charles Simon, is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation (FFF). It was first held in 1917 and is open to all amateur and profession ...
final in 1956, against
CS Sedan Ardennes
Club Sportif Sedan Ardennes, commonly referred to as CS Sedan or simply Sedan (), is a French association football club based in Sedan. The club was formed in 1919 and plays its home matches at the Stade Louis Dugauguez located within the ci ...
, which they went on to lose 3–1. The same day, the youth team of the club won the
Coupe Gambardella
The Coupe Gambardella is a French football cup competition held between the under-18s of the French football clubs, organized by the French Football Federation (FFF).
The cup is regarded as an opportunity for young hopefuls to showcase their s ...
, the French Youth cup. That very same year, the club failed to keep its place in French top flight, and was back in
Division 2. It finally succeed in reaching the Première Division again in 1960, but only lasted one season, and was relegated in 1961. The club had some financial difficulties, and had to leave professional football at the end of the 1962–63 season, which they finished 17th out of 20. They continued for four more seasons at regional level, under the guidance of former ASTS player Jacques Diebold, before disappearing.
Shortly after without any major club in Troyes, a new one was created in 1967, under the name Troyes Omnisports, still at regional level. It renamed itself Troyes Aube Football (TAF) in 1970 as it took back professional status, and was admitted to play in the Third Division. They were promoted to the Second Division after just one year. For their first season in Second division, under the lead of
Pierre Flamion
Pierre Émile Flamion (13 December 1924 – 3 January 2004) was a French football manager and former player who played striker.
Honours As a player
Reims
* Division 1: 1948–49
*Coupe de France: 1949–50
Orders
*Chevalier of the Ordre nat ...
, they finished second, but failed to win promotion, as there were three Second division groups that season. They finished first next year, in 1973, and lost in the Champions final between the Champions of the two new groups against
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens (, commonly referred to as RC Lens or simply Lens) is a French professional football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, ''les sang et or'' (''the blood and gold''), co ...
. The club had its longest consecutive run 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 ...
, as they stayed five consecutive seasons in the top flight, from 1973 to 1978. It was however a difficult spell, as it struggled each season against relegation. Pierre Flamion left in 1975, and was replaced by René Cédolin, former
Stade Rennais manager. Its best position was 15th out of 20 in 1976–77. Even though they had some very good players, such as striker Gérard Tonnel (1972–1975, 107 games, 69 goals 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 ...
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 ...
), right-back René Le Lamer (1973–1978), keeper Guy Formici (1970–1978) and Yugoslavian star, winger
Ilija Petković
Ilija Petković ( sr-Cyrl, Илија Петковић, ; 22 September 1945 – 27 June 2020) was a Serbian footballer and manager.
Petković was capped 43 times for Yugoslavia, participating in the 1968 European Football Championship, and in ...
(1973–1976). They were finally relegated in 1978, finishing 19th. They suffered back to back relegations finishing 17th in the second division and dropped to the third division. This led to the club becoming bankrupt and merging with Patronage Laïque de Troyes, leaving Troyes without a professional Football Club yet again.
Current club ATAC/ESTAC (1986–present)
After the death of the second professional club from Troyes, some people tried to rebuild a new club, which could be able to come back to professional status. At first, in 1979, just after the disappearing of the TAF, they merged the amateurs teams the TAF with the Patronage Laïque de Troyes, creating the PL Foot, once again under the guidance of Jacques Diebold. The club only managed to reach the Fourth division in 1984, but became relegated after just one season, finishing 17th. To build a more lasting club, Maurice Cacciaguerra, Angel Masoni and others decided to create the Association Troyes Aube Champagne (ATAC), taking the place of the PL Foot in Division d'Honneur, French sixth division, at regional level.
The new club won the championship in its first season, and was promoted to Fourth division in 1987. After just three seasons, they finished first of the Fourth Division in 1990, and reached the Third Division. Despite being well listed during the next three seasons, the club failed to gain promotion to the Second division. Due to the reform of French football leagues in 1993, the club was transferred to the newly formed Nationale 2, the new fourth level of French football. New president Angel Masoni called
Alain Perrin
Alain André Christian Perrin (born 7 October 1956) is a French professional football manager and former player.
Perrin made his managerial breakthrough at Troyes, whom he took from the fourth tier to Ligue 1 and UEFA Cup qualification by winni ...
to take the lead of the team. He was to become the most successful manager ever in Troyes, and stayed nine years, from 1993 to 2002. In his first year, he won the Nationale 2, and ATAC was promoted to the Nationale 1 in 1994. The following year, Troyes finished 10th, before finishing 2nd in 1995–96, and was promoted 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 ...
: for the first time since 1979, Troyes were playing professional football.
Troyes first season was very difficult, as they finished 20th out of 22 teams, only keeping its place in Deuxième division due to the bankruptcy of FC Perpignan and FCO Charleville. The next two seasons were much more successful, they finished 5th in 1997–98, and 3rd in 1998–99, due to the presence of players more used to this level, such as Frédéric Adam, Richard Jeziersky,
David Hamed
David Hamed (born 2 August 1974 in Marseille) is a French former professional footballer. He last played in the Championnat National as a defender for Amiens SC. He also holds Algerian citizenship.
Hamed played at the professional level in ...
,
Samuel Boutal
Samuel Boutal (born 22 November 1969) is a French former professional footballer who played as a striker or attacking midfielder.
Boutal helped Troyes become one of the winners of the 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup. In the final Troyes beat Newcast ...
, fans favourite
Slađan Đukić
Slađan Đukić ( sr-cyr, Слађан Ђукић; also transliterated Sladjan Djukić; born 21 December 1966) is a Serbian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in associati ...
and local players, such as captain
Mohammed Bradja
Mohamed Bradja (born 16 November 1969) is a former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Born in France, at international level he represented Algeria, participating at the 2002 African Cup of Nations.
Club career
Born in Troy ...
. Troyes took the lead during the first part of the season. Even if the second part was more difficult, the team finished third, only on goal average, after a last win against
AS Cannes
Association Sportive de Cannes Football (; commonly referred to as AS Cannes or simply Cannes) is a French association football club based in Cannes. The club was formed 1902 as a sports club and currently plays in the Championnat National 3, t ...
. But most importantly Troyes was 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 ...
, 21 years after its last season at this level.
In Troyes' first season in Ligue 1 in 1999–2000, the team finished in 14th place, thereby avoiding relegation. At the end of the season, the name ATAC was changed to ESTAC due to the complaints of a French discount supermarket chain having the same name. The glory days came in the next two seasons, as they twice finished seventh, qualifying them for the first time in their history for the
Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup (from la, Inter, 'between' + german: toto, 'betting pool'),Most precisely, from ( football pool); cf. often abbreviated and more known in the German-speaking world as UI Cup and originally called the International Foo ...
in 2001 and 2002. In 2001, with players
Jérôme Rothen
Jérôme René Marcel Rothen (born 31 March 1978) is a French former professional footballer who played as a winger.
Rothen won 13 caps for the France national football team. He represented his country at the 2004 European Football Champions ...
,
Rafik Saïfi
Rafik Saïfi ( ar, رفيق صايفي; born 7 February 1975) is an Algerian retired professional football player who played as a forward or as an attacking midfielder.
Club career
Saifi began his football career at CM Bordj El Kifane. It was ...
,
Tony Heurtebis
Tony Heurtebis (born 15 January 1975) is a French football goalkeeper who played for Stade Rennais, Troyes AC, Stade Brestois and FC Nantes Atlantique
Football Club de Nantes (; Gallo: ''Naunnt''), commonly referred to as FC Nantes or si ...
,
Fabio Celestini
Fabio Celestini (born 31 October 1975) is a Swiss football manager and former player. A defensive midfielder, he started and finished his 15-year professional career with Lausanne, and also played for ten years in France and Spain, representin ...
and
Nicolas Goussé
Nicolas Goussé (born 2 January 1976) is a French former professional footballer who played as a forward who is the assistant coach of Ligue 2 club Annecy.
Career
Goussé was born in Thouars, France. He helped Troyes become one of the winne ...
in the side, they defeated
Newcastle United in an epic Intertoto Cup second leg final, which finished 4–4 at
St James' Park
St James' Park is a football stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Premier League club Newcastle United F.C. With a seating capacity of 52,305 seats, it is the eighth largest football stadium in England.
St James' Park ...
.
After a first round qualification in UEFA Cup over Slovakian
MFK Ruzomberok (6–1; 0–1), they lost to
Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire in England. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of England's football league system, and plays its home matches at Elland Road ...
4-5 on aggregate despite having won the second leg 3–2, and failed to qualify to the third round. The following year, they beat Spanish side
Villareal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. ( ca-valencia, Vila-real Club de Futbol, S.A.D.), usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or simply Villarreal, is a professional football club based in Villarreal, in the Castellón province of eastern Spain, t ...
, drawing 0–0 in the first leg and winning the second leg 2–1. However, the result was voided as Troyes fielded a disqualified player, David Vairelles.
UEFA
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
disqualified ESTAC, and Villareal took their place instead. The sacking of new manager
Jacky Bonnevay
Jacques "Jacky" Bonnevay (born 1 June 1961) is a French football coach, currently assistant manager of AS Saint-Étienne, and former player.
Playing career
Bonnevay was born in Le Coteau, Loire. He played for FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, Olympiq ...
and the nomination of
Faruk Hadzibegic in January did not save Troyes. They finished at the bottom of the
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 ...
, 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 ...
.
Thanks to the takeover of new President Thierry Gomez, Troyes avoided bankruptcy to finish 10th the following season. In 2004,
Jean-Marc Furlan
Jean-Marc Furlan (born 20 November 1957) is a French football manager and former player who played as a defender.
Club career
Born in Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, Furlan started his career at Bordeaux, where he signed his first professional contract i ...
, who had spectacular results in
Coupe de France
The Coupe de France, formerly known as the Coupe Charles Simon, is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation (FFF). It was first held in 1917 and is open to all amateur and profession ...
with amateur side
Libourne Saint-Seurin, was appointed manager. In his first season, the club secured promotion by finishing third, largely due to the great performances of two young strikers on loan,
Sébastien Grax
Sébastien Grax (born 23 June 1984) is a French former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Career
Grax started his career at Monaco in 2001 where he played four matches in three years. He was then loaned out to Troyes AC in 2004 w ...
from
AS Monaco
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club SA, commonly referred to as AS Monaco () or Monaco, is a professional football club based in Monaco that is member of French Football Federation (FFF) and competes in Ligue 1, the top tier of Frenc ...
and
Bafétimbi Gomis
Bafétimbi Gomis (; born 6 August 1985) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for Süper Lig club Galatasaray.
Gomis played youth football with Saint-Étienne before making his professional debut for the club in 2004, als ...
from
AS Saint-Etienne
As, AS, A. S., A/S or similar may refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
* A. S. Byatt (born 1936), English critic, novelist, poet and short story writer
* "As" (song), by Stevie Wonder
* , a Spanish sports newspaper
* , an academic male voice ...
. The club played some attractive football, in the style of former manager
Alain Perrin
Alain André Christian Perrin (born 7 October 1956) is a French professional football manager and former player.
Perrin made his managerial breakthrough at Troyes, whom he took from the fourth tier to Ligue 1 and UEFA Cup qualification by winni ...
. The club maintained itself 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 2005–06, but failed the following season (2006–07), finishing in 18th position. Furlan left at the end of the season, and
Denis Troch
Denis Troch (born 24 October 1959, in Le Blanc-Mesnil) is a French former professional association football, football player and now manager.
Troch's last job in management was with Chamois Niortais F.C., Chamois Niortais, but he left in June 20 ...
became the new manager. After failing to win promotion, with Troyes taking only 4 points in the last 11 games of the season and finishing in 6th place despite being in the top three during the majority of the season, Troch was sacked at the conclusion of the season. Ludovic Batelli was appointed next season, but had to struggle against relegation. He was sacked in April 2009 and caretaker manager, Claude Robin, previously Troyes' director of formation, did not manage to avoid relegation.
With the club finding itself once again in financial difficulties, Thierry Gomez stepped down as president and was replaced by Daniel Masoni, son of former president Angel Masoni. In July 2009, Daniel Masoni engaged
Patrick Rémy to replace Robin as manager. Rémy succeeded in taking Troyes back to Ligue 2, finishing third in the
Championnat National
The Championnat de France National ( en, French National Championship), commonly referred to as simply National or Division 3, serves as the third division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. Contested by 18 clubs, t ...
in 2010. However, after a disagreement with president Masoni, Remy quit in June 2010 and
Jean-Marc Furlan
Jean-Marc Furlan (born 20 November 1957) is a French football manager and former player who played as a defender.
Club career
Born in Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, Furlan started his career at Bordeaux, where he signed his first professional contract i ...
returned to manage the club. The club stayed in
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 2010–11 season, finishing 16th. After a slow start at the beginning of the new season, results improved as the season went on. Things improved greatly and Troyes found themselves challenging for promotion. They achieved this in the 37th game of the season, with a win over AS Monaco, on 11 May 2012. Crucial wins over arch-rivals
Sedan, with a goal in the last minute to right back youngster
Djibril Sidibé, and then a few weeks later against Clermont, who was third at the time, allowed Troyes to climb into the top three.
Producing some of the most exciting football of the league, with players such as
Marcos Marcos may refer to:
People with the given name ''Marcos''
*Marcos (given name)
Sports
;Surnamed
* Dayton Marcos, Negro league baseball team from Dayton, Ohio (early twentieth-century)
* Dimitris Markos, Greek footballer
* Nélson Marcos, Portug ...
or
Mounir Obbadi, a strong defence led by
Rincón,
Julien Outrebon, Matthieu Saunier and
Stephen Drouin with the left back
Fabrice N'Sakala
Fabrice Nsakala Mayélé (born 21 July 1990) is a professional footballer who plays for Swiss club Neuchâtel Xamax. He plays as a box-to-box midfielder, but is also capable of playing as a left-back or centre-back. He is a former French youth i ...
and right back Djibril Sidibé, both products of the Academy, as well as midfielders
Julien Faussurier and captain
Eloge Enza Yamissi
Eloge Ethisse Enza Yamissi (born 23 January 1983) is a Central African former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Club career
Born in Bangui, Central African Republic, Yamissi started his playing career at Bordeaux. He was there ...
actually did what nobody expected at the beginning of the season. They had a strong second half of the season, with only 4 defeats, 5 draws and 10 victories (with just one loss in the 10 last games of the season). Troyes found themselves back 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 ...
five years after their last stint, and just two season after playing in the third division.
In the 2015–16
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, Troyes 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 finishing last on the table winning only three games all year and were humiliated in one match when they lost 9–0 at the hands of
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As Fr ...
. On 29 May 2017, Troyes were promoted back to Ligue 1 at the first time of asking after defeating Lorient 2–1 on aggregate in the playoff/relegation match. On 20 May 2018, Troyes were relegated back to Ligue 2 after just one season in the top flight, finishing second from bottom.
In the 2018–19
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 ...
season, Troyes finished in third place on the table. Troyes would go on to lose the playoff semi final against
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens (, commonly referred to as RC Lens or simply Lens) is a French professional football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, ''les sang et or'' (''the blood and gold''), co ...
2–1 after extra time.
On 3 September 2020,
City Football Group
City Football Group Limited (CFG) is a holding company that administers association football clubs. The group is owned by three organisations; of which 81% is majority owned by Newton Investment and Development LLC, 18% by the American firm Si ...
(CFG) announced that they had purchased a majority stake in Troyes AC.
In the 2020–21 Ligue 2 season, Troyes were promoted back to Ligue 1 as champions of the division.
Players
Current squad
On loan
Reserve squad
Famous past players
''For a complete list of former Troyes AC players with a Wikipedia article, see
here
Here is an adverb that means "in, on, or at this place". It may also refer to:
Software
* Here Technologies, a mapping company
* Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps), a mobile app and map website by Here Technologies, Here
Television
* Here TV (form ...
.''
Club Officials
Stadium
Stade de l'Aube is a multi-use
stadium
A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand o ...
in
Troyes
Troyes () is a commune and the capital of the department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within the Champagne wine region and is near to ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. It is currently used mostly for
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
matches, by
Troyes AC
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 ...
. The stadium is able to hold 20,400 people and was built in 1956.
In June 2013, the Stade de l'Aube is the first stadium to build its pitch using the AirFibr hybrid turf technology,
developed by the French company Natural Grass.
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 ...
*Winners:
2014–15,
2020–21
The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen b ...
European
*
UEFA Intertoto Cup
*Winners:
2001
Troyes in European Football
References
External links
ES Troyes AC Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Troyes AC
Association football clubs established in 1986
1986 establishments in France
T
Football clubs in Grand Est
Ligue 1 clubs