Le Havre AC

Le Havre Athletic Club (French pronunciation: [lə ɑvʁ]) is a French professional association football club based in Le Havre, Normandy. The football club was founded in 1894 as a section of the sports club of the same name, founded in 1884. Le Havre plays in Ligue 1, the first tier of French football, after securing promotion from Ligue 2 as winners of the 2022–23 season, and plays its home matches at the Stade Océane.

Source: Wikipedia

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Le Havre AC

HAC in Tournoi de paques 1913

Le Havre AC home stadium Stade Océane

Le Havre made its football debut in France's first 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, yet they won the second division, Ligue 2, for a record of six times. The club's highest honour to date was winning the Coupe de France in (/wiki/1959CoupedeFranceFinal).

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

Le Havre AC

Deportivo de La Coruña vs. Le Havre.

Contrary to what the club has long claimed, Le Havre AC was not founded in 1872. It was in 1884 that a group of British residents formed Le Havre Athlétique, which played a hybrid form of football, a cross between rugby and association football, called "combination". Association football began being played in Le Havre 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. They would also win the following year, with the final being a "re-match" of the forfeited 1899 final.

The club has a youth investment program,. A large amount of young players have gone on to play 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.

In the 2022–23 Ligue 2, Le Havre finished top of the league table to win their sixth title in the division and secure promotion to the Ligue 1 for the first time since 2008.

Club culture

Le Havre AC

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 Cambridge and Oxford: the anthem of the club is played to the melody of "God Save the King" to mark the English origins of the club:

"A jamais le premier de tous les clubs français ô H.A.C. Fiers de tes origines Fils d'Oxford et Cambridge deux couleurs font notre prestige Ciel et marine!"

"The first ever of all French clubs The H.A.C Proud of your roots Son of Oxford and Cambridge two colours make our prestige (the colours of the) sky and the sea!"

Players

Current squad

<table><thead><tr><th>No.</th><th>Pos.</th><th>Nation</th><th>Player</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>4</td><td>DF</td><td> FRA</td><td>Gautier Lloris</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>DF</td><td> FRA</td><td>Étienne Youte Kinkoue</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>DF</td><td> HUN</td><td>Loïc Négo</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>MF</td><td> MAR</td><td>Yassine Kechta</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>MF</td><td> SUI</td><td>Felix Mambimbi</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>FW</td><td> FRA</td><td>Godson Kyeremeh</td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td>DF</td><td> MLI</td><td>Fodé Doucouré</td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>MF</td><td> SEN</td><td>Rassoul Ndiaye</td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>DF</td><td> JPN</td><td>Ayumu Seko</td></tr><tr><td>17</td><td>FW</td><td> MAR</td><td>Sofiane Boufal</td></tr><tr><td>18</td><td>DF</td><td> FRA</td><td>Yanis Zouaoui</td></tr><tr><td>19</td><td>MF</td><td> FRA</td><td>Lucas Gourna-Douath (on loan from Red Bull Salzburg)</td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td>FW</td><td> FRA</td><td>Noam Obougou</td></tr><tr><td>24</td><td>MF</td><td> CIV</td><td>Guy-Noël Zohouri</td></tr><tr><td>No.</td><td>Pos.</td><td>Nation</td><td>Player</td></tr><tr><td>25</td><td>FW</td><td> TAN</td><td>Mbwana Samatta</td></tr><tr><td>26</td><td>MF</td><td> FRA</td><td>Simon Ebonog</td></tr><tr><td>27</td><td>FW</td><td> FRA</td><td>Enzo Koffi</td></tr><tr><td>29</td><td>DF</td><td> FRA</td><td>Stephan Zagadou</td></tr><tr><td>30</td><td>FW</td><td> GER</td><td>Reda Khadra (on loan from Reims)</td></tr><tr><td>32</td><td>DF</td><td> FRA</td><td>Timothée Pembélé (on loan from Sunderland)</td></tr><tr><td>33</td><td>FW</td><td> FRA</td><td>Kenny Quetant</td></tr><tr><td>45</td><td>FW</td><td> SEN</td><td>Issa Soumaré</td></tr><tr><td>50</td><td>GK</td><td> FRA</td><td>Paul Argney</td></tr><tr><td>77</td><td>GK</td><td> COD</td><td>Lionel Mpasi</td></tr><tr><td>78</td><td>MF</td><td> FRA</td><td>Daren Mosengo</td></tr><tr><td>93</td><td>DF</td><td> SEN</td><td>Arouna Sangante (captain)</td></tr><tr><td>94</td><td>MF</td><td> GUI</td><td>Abdoulaye Touré</td></tr><tr><td>99</td><td>GK</td><td> SEN</td><td>Mory Diaw</td></tr></tbody></table>

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

<table><thead><tr><th>No.</th><th>Pos.</th><th>Nation</th><th>Player</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>—</td><td>MF</td><td> FRA</td><td>Mokrane Bentoumi (at Aubagne Air Bel until 30 June 2026)</td></tr><tr><td>—</td><td>MF</td><td> FRA</td><td>Ismaïl Bouneb (at Quevilly-Rouen until 30 June 2026)</td></tr><tr><td>No.</td><td>Pos.</td><td>Nation</td><td>Player</td></tr><tr><td>—</td><td>FW</td><td> FRA</td><td>Élysée Logbo (at Bourg-Péronnas until 30 June 2026)</td></tr></tbody></table>

Honours

Nationals

Historical league performance chart of Le Havre AC

• Ligue 2 (French 2nd Division) • Winners (6): (/wiki/1937–38FrenchDivision2), (/wiki/1958–59FrenchDivision2), (/wiki/1984–85FrenchDivision2), (/wiki/1990–91FrenchDivision2), (/wiki/2007–08Ligue2), (/wiki/2022–23Ligue2) • Runners-up (1): (/wiki/1949–50FrenchDivision2) • Coupe de France (French Cup) • Winners (1): (/wiki/1959CoupedeFrancefinal) • Runners-up (1): (/wiki/1920CoupedeFrancefinal) • Trophée des champions (French Super Cup) • Winners (1): 1959

Friendlies

• USFSA Championnat • Winners (3): 1898–99, 1899–1900, 1918–19 • Challenge International du Nord • Winners (1): 1900 • Coupe Nationale • Winners (2): 1918, 1919

Club staff

Le Havre AC

<table><thead><tr><th>Name and Nationality</th><th>Position</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Vincent Volpe</td><td></td><td>President</td></tr><tr><td>Christopher Sargent</td><td></td><td>Vice-President</td></tr><tr><td>Steve O'Connor</td><td></td><td>Technical director</td></tr><tr><td>Ashton Smith</td><td></td><td>Sporting director</td></tr><tr><td>Bruce Fallon</td><td></td><td>Sports coordinator</td></tr><tr><td>Didier Digard</td><td></td><td>Head coach</td></tr><tr><td>Bryan Bergougnoux</td><td></td><td>Assistant coach</td></tr><tr><td>Gauthier Duchert</td><td></td><td>First-team coach</td></tr><tr><td>Christophe Hoarau</td><td></td><td>Goalkeeper coach</td></tr><tr><td>Jean Luc Pierrot</td><td></td><td>Video analyst</td></tr><tr><td>Stéphane Meunier</td><td></td><td>Video analyst</td></tr><tr><td>Corentin Rousseau</td><td></td><td>Video analyst</td></tr><tr><td>Jules Delacroix</td><td></td><td>Doctor</td></tr><tr><td>Auguste LeBlanc</td><td></td><td>Academy Goalkeeping Co-ordinator</td></tr><tr><td>Grégory Proment</td><td></td><td>Academy manager</td></tr></tbody></table>