Le Havre AC

Le Havre
Full name Le Havre Athletic Club
Nickname(s) Le club doyen (The Dean Club),
Les Ciel et Marine (The Sky-and-Navy)
Founded 1872 (1872)
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
HAC in Tournoi de paques 1913

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, 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. 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. Position Player
1 Mali GK Oumar Sissoko
2 Brazil DF Léo Príncipe (on loan from Corinthians)
3 France DF Kelly Irep
4 France DF Harold Moukoudi
5 Republic of the Congo DF Fernand Mayembo
6 Ivory Coast MF Christ Tiéhi
7 France MF Jean-Pascal Fontaine
8 Algeria MF Zinedine Ferhat
10 France FW Alan Dzabana
11 Zimbabwe FW Tino Kadewere
12 Republic of the Congo FW Bevic Moussiti-Oko
13 Ghana FW Ebenezer Assifuah
14 Senegal FW Jamal Thiaré
15 France DF Samba Camara
16 Guadeloupe GK Yohann Thuram-Ulien
No. Position Player
17 France MF Alexandre Bonnet
18 Central African Republic MF Amos Youga
19 Burkina Faso DF Yacouba Coulibaly
20 France DF Baba Traoré
21 France DF Dénys Bain
22 France MF Victor Lekhal
23 Turkey DF Özer Özdemir
24 France MF Pape Gueye
25 Hungary DF Barnabás Bese
27 France MF Romain Basque
28 France FW Alimani Gory
29 France FW Hervé Bazile
30 France GK Yahia Fofana
50 France GK 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. Position Player
— France DF 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. Position Player
Canada GK Nikola Curcija
Angola GK André Costa Da Silva
Senegal DF Arouna Sangante
France DF Woyo Coulibaly
France DF Allan Hauguel
France DF David Gesseau
France MF Himad Abdelli
France MF Seref-Can Buyuk
No. Position Player
France MF Mamadou Fofana
France MF Ateef Konate
France MF Zoumana Touré
France FW Theo Epailly
France FW Brandon Hoareau
France FW Alvin Le Corre
France FW Cheikh Diaby

Honours

former logo

Managerial history

References

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