Paris FC

Paris Football Club (French pronunciation: [paʁi]; commonly referred to as PFC or simply Paris) is a French association football club based in Paris. The club was founded in 1969 and currently play in the Championnat National, the third level of French football. Paris plays its home matches at the Stade Charléty located in the 13th arrondissement of Paris. The team is managed by Alain Mboma and captained by midfielder Ibrahima Fayé.

Paris was founded in 1969 and later merged with Stade Saint-Germain to form Paris Saint-Germain. The current Paris FC exists as a result of the club splitting from Paris Saint-Germain. Unlike its counterpart, which has gone on to establish a solid foundation, Paris FC have endured a bleak history having spent the majority of its life playing in the amateur divisions. The club's highest honor to date was winning its group in the Championnat de France amateur in 2006. Paris FC last played in Ligue 1 in the 1978–79 season.

Though Paris FC have struggled domestically, the club has served as a springboard for several youth players who have gone on to have successful professional careers. Notable players who started their careers at PFC include Jean-Christophe Thouvenel, Mamadou Sakho, Tijani Belaid, Aymen Belaïd, and Gabriel Obertan. Sakho and the Belaïd brothers have since became senior internationals for their respective national teams, while Thouvenel went on to win a gold medeal at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Manager Roger Lemerre started his managerial career with the club before leading France to titles at UEFA Euro 2000 and the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup.

History

In an effort to re-launch professional football in the city of Paris, Paris Football Club was founded on 1 August 1969. The objective of the club was to be playing in the first division by 1970. An attempted merger with CS Sedan Ardennes was refused so Paris went looking in the second division and, subsequently, merged with Stade Saint-Germain to form Paris Saint-Germain, the professional club that currently plays in Ligue 1 today. The current incarnation of Paris FC came into being in 1972 when the club split from Paris Saint-Germain after coming under pressure from the capital city's mayor, who refused to support a non-Parisian club (the club had originally been situated in nearby Saint-Germain-en-Laye). As a result, a bitter split occurred and both Paris FC and Paris Saint-Germain remained as separate football club with the main agreement being that Paris FC had the right to keep the splitting entity's first division and professional status, as well as all the professional players. Paris Saint-Germain were, on the other hand, administratively relegated to the third division and given all the former entity's amateur players.

At the beginning of the 1972–73 season, Paris were playing in the first division hosting matches at the Parc des Princes. Two seasons later, the club was relegated to the second division, which coincided with Paris Saint-Germain's rise to top-flight and the acquisition of the Parc des Princes. After four years of playing in Division 2, Paris returned to the first division for the 1978–79 season. However, the season was a difficult one and resulted in the club falling back to Division 2 after one season. Paris FC have since yet to return to the top-flight league of France.

In 1983, Paris FC, then led by the industrialist Jean-Luc Lagardère, merged with Racing Club de France. While Racing remained in the first division, the remaining entity that was PFC was administratively relegated to the fourth division. Due to having limited resources, Paris fell to the Division d'Honneur after one season and, subsequently, spent four seasons in the fifth division before returning to Division 4 in 1988. Another promotion the following season saw Paris earn a place in Division 3. Paris remained in the division for 12 years becoming inaugural members of the Championnat National in the process. In 2000, the club finished 17th and were relegated to the Championnat de France amateur. Paris spent six years in the league before returning to National for the 2006–07 season.

Players

Current squad

As of 1 August, 2011

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Notable players

Below are the notable former players who have represented Paris and its predecessors in league and international competition since the club's foundation in 1969. To appear in the section below, a player must have played in at least 80 official matches for the club.

For a complete list of Paris players, see Category:Paris FC players

Ownership

Club hierarchy

As of 21 December 2010

Managers

Current coaching staff

Managerial history

• Louis Hon (1972–73)^[1]
• Antoine Dalla Cieca (1973–76)
• Robert Vicot (1976–79)
• Roger Lemerre (1979–81)
• Alberto Muro (1981–83)
• Luc Rabat (1983–86)
• Pierre Lechantre (1987–92)
• Hubert Velud (1992)
• Delio Onnis (1992–95)
• Hubert Velud (1995–99)
• Jean-François Charbonnier (1999)
• Jean-Pierre Carayon (1999 – November 99)
• Robert Buigues (November 1999–02)
• Philippe Lemaître (2002–04)
• Patrick Parizon (2002–05)
• Jean-Marc Pilorget (2005–07)
• Jean-Guy Wallemme (2007–08)
• Jean-Marc Pilorget (2008–09)
• Jean-Luc Vannuchi (2009–)

Honours

• Championnat de France amateur
  • Champions (1): 2006
• Division d'Honneur (Paris)
  • Champions (2): 1988, 2010^[2]

References

External links

• Official site