Montpellier HSC

Montpellier

Full name	Montpellier Hérault Sport Club
Nickname(s)	MHSC, La Paillade
Founded	1974
Ground	Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier (Capacity: 32,900)
Owner	Louis Nicollin
Chairman	Laurent Nicollin
Manager	René Girard
League	Ligue 1
2010-11	14th
Website	Club home page
Home colours Away colours

Montpellier Hérault Sport Club (French pronunciation: [mɔ̃pəlje eʁo spɔʁ klœb]; commonly referred to as Montpellier HSC or simply Montpellier) is a French association football club based in the city of Montpellier. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Montpellier plays its home matches at the Stade de la Mosson located within the city. The first team is managed by former football player René Girard and captained by defender Mapou Yanga-M'Biwa.

Montpellier was founded under the name Stade Olympique Montpelliérain (SO Montpellier) and played under the name for most of its existence. In 1989, after playing under various names, the club changed its name to its current form. Montpellier is one of the founding members of the first division of French football. Along with Marseille, Rennes, Sochaux, and Nice, Montpellier is the only club to have played in the inaugural 1932–33 season and still be playing in the first division as of today. The club has, however, never won Ligue 1. Montpellier's highest honour to date was winning the Coupe de France in 1929 and 1990. The club has also won the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1999 and the Coupe d'été in 1992; the latter competition being a precursor to the Coupe de la Ligue.

Montpellier is owned by Louis Nicollin, a French entrepreneur, and have been since 1974. The club has produced several players in its history, most notably Laurent Blanc, who currently serves as manager of the France national team. Blanc is the club's all-time leading goalscorer. Eric Cantona, Roger Milla, and Carlos Valderrama are other players who passed through the club. In 2001, Montpellier added a female section to the football club.

History

SO Montpellier team in 1919

Montpellier Hérault Sport Club was founded in 1919 under the name Stade Olympique Montpelliérain by the Association Générale Sportive Montpelliéraine (AGSM) (English: General Montpellier Sports Association), which consisted of a handful of wealthy and ambitious citizens of Montpellier. The city of Montpellier had been in the process of creating a sports club in the city since 1914, however, the idea died due to World War I. Upon its creation, the sports club mainly consisting of association football, rugby union, athletics, tennis, and boxing. The club's headquarters was located at the local Café de Paris and carried the colors of the city, red and white. After a few months of existence, SO Montpellier, under the advisement of its first president, merged with local club La Vie au Grand Air du Languedoc (VGAL), which was formed in August 1917 and had been solely dedicated to the sport of football.

The successful merger with VGAL and the acquisition of the club's players allowed Montpellier to easily adapt in the sport. The club spent its formative years playing mainly in the Division d'Honneur Sud-Est. In 1925, the club was managed by Scotsman Victor Gibson. That same year, Montpellier endured an internal crisis after the French Football Federation discovered that the club had been guilty of financial misfeasance. The club's president was suspended from football for five years and Montpellier were relegated for the first time. The resulting penalties led to the departure of several players. In an effort to rebuild, the club changed its name to Sports Olympiques Montpelliérains and recruited several new players, most notably Branislav Sekulić, Roger Rolhion, and the three Kramer brothers from Switzerland. The rebuilding process was immediate as the club returned to the Division d'Honneur after one season. In 1929, the club won its first major trophy, the Coupe de France. In the final, Montpellier faced FC Sète and recorded a 2–0 victory courtesy of goals from Auguste Kramer and Edmond Kramer.

SOM in 1929 with Coupe de France trophy

In July 1930, the National Council of the French Football Federation voted 128–20 in support of professionalism in French football. Montpellier, along with most clubs from the south, were among the first clubs to adopt the new statute and, subsequently, became professional and were founding members of the new league. Ahead of the first campaign, Montpellier continued to perform well in the Coupe de France and reached the final for the second time in three years in 1931. Montpeller were unable to win its second title after being dismantled 3–0 in the final by Club Français. In the league's inaugural season, Montpellier finished mid-table in its group. After two more seasons in the league, Montpellier were relegated after finishing in 15th place in 1935. Soon after, it was revealed that the club was ₣370,000 in debt. The club's steering committee decided to dissolve the club and return to its former name Stade Olympique Montpelliérain, which resulted in the club's debt being erased in the eyes of the federation. The new club remained in Division 2 until earning promotion to Division 1 after winning the second division in 1946. In Montpellier's return to Division 1, the club struggled finishing in the bottom-half of the table in three straight seasons. In 1950, the club was back in Division 2 after finishing 17th in the 1949–50 French Division 1 season.

After a short return to Division 1, Montpellier were back in the second division in 1953. In the spring of 1953, the club's president, known by the surname Fox, brought in former French international Julien Darui to act as a player-coach. After nine months, Darui was dismissed from his position. After the departure of Darui, the club was ordered to pay up to ₣5 million after the federation discovered financial and accounting irregularities in the club's accounts. The federation subsequently gave Fox a lifetime ban from French football. In November 1957, a local clergyman, Ferdinand Bessède, was named as president of the club. Bessède quickly cleaned up the club's finances and, by 1961, Montpellier were back in Division 1. After an encouraging 8th place finish in its return, Montpellier faltered back down to Division 2 after finishing in 19th place in the 1962–63 season. In 1966, Bessède, because of his duties as a clergyman, left his post. Montpellier, as a consequence, began to plummet. The club went back into debt and, also, became disassociated with its supporters after departing its long-time stadium and moving into a new stadium, which supporters were highly critical of. By 1969, Montpellier had lost its professional status and were playing in the Championnat de France amateur (CFA).

Laurent Blanc played with the team from 1983–1991.

From 1969–1987, Montpellier underwent two name changes and spent its time playing in the CFA and Division 2, excluding one year back in Division 1 in 1981. In 1970, in an effort to not enter bankruptcy, the club merged with Montpellier Littoral and played under the name Montpellier Littoral Sport Club (MLSC) for four years. Despite the merger, the club still had financial troubles, which led to struggles domestically. The problems led to several players leaving the club for Formation Sportive de Nettoiement, an emerging sports outfit led by entrepreneur Louis Nicollin. On 1 June 1974, the club merged with up-and-coming club AS Paillade and changed its name to Montpellier Paillade Sport Club Littoral (MPSCL). Like the previous merger, the merger with Paillade was ultimately unsuccessful as the club failed to make any progress. At the urging of local journalist Carlo Llorens, MPSCL merged with Nicollin's club, which had quickly become competitive. Nicollin dissolved his club, was installed as Montpellier's president, and brought his players and management over to Montpellier. After slowly ascending up the league system with managers such as Robert Nouzaret, Kader Firoud, and Jacques Bonnet, Montpellier returned to the first division under the leadership of Michel Mézy for the 1987–88 season.

In 1989, the club was renamed Montpellier Hérault Sport Club after the club received financial support from the General Council of Hérault. With the club competing consistently in the first division, Montpellier sought to increase its competitiveness by hiring Aimé Jacquet. Jacquet had won three titles with Bordeaux in the 1980s. Montpellier also had a group of talented players, notably Laurent Blanc, Eric Cantona, Daniel Xuereb, Wilbert Suvrijn, and Carlos Valderrama, among others. Jacquet only spent eight months in charge, which was a stint described by many as chaotic. A dressing room incident involving Cantona marred the club for most of the league season and, in February 1990, Jacquest was replaced by Mézy, who decided to return to the club. Under Mézy, Montpellier shifted back to its normal ways and surprised many by winning the Coupe de France. The club defeated the likes of Istres, Nancy, and Louhans-Cuiseaux before beating Racing Paris 2–1 in the final courtesy of extra time goals from Laurent Blanc and Kader Ferhaoui. After the success, Mézy left the club again and several of the club's players slowly began to depart for better opportunities. Despite the departures, Montpellier remained in Division 1 for the next decade before falling to Division 2 at the start of the new millennium.

Tino Costa and Víctor Hugo Montaño were integral in the team's return to Ligue 1.

After a short return to Division 1, now called Ligue 1, from 2001–2004, Montpellier were back playing in Ligue 2. The club spent one season under Nouzaret and two seasons under Jean-François Domergue before finding stability with Rolland Courbis in 2007. In Courbis' second season in charge, boasted by several talented young players, such as Víctor Hugo Montaño, Tino Costa, Joris Marveaux, and Johann Carrasso, he led the club back to Ligue 1 after finishing 2nd. After the season, Courbis left the club in order to began his prison sentence due to his involvement in the Olympique de Marseille corruption case and he was replaced by René Girard, With an abundance of young talent, Girard sought to bring in veterans to the club ahead of its return to Ligue 1. He successfully recruited Emir Spahic, Cyril Jeunechamp, and Romain Pitau. Girard also brought back Nenad Džodić, who he installed as captain. In the club's return, Montpellier surprised many football pundits, locally and internationally, by finishing in 5th place and qualifying for the UEFA Europa League. Montpellier even topped the table at one point during the season.

Players

Current squad

As of August 4, 2011.^[1]

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

No. Position Player 1 GK Laurent Pionnier 2 DF Garry Bocaly 3 DF Mapou Yanga-M'Biwa 4 DF Hilton 5 DF Henri Bedimo 6 MF Joris Marveaux 7 FW John Utaka 9 FW Hasan Kabze 10 MF Younès Belhanda 11 MF Grégory Lacombe 12 FW Geoffrey Dernis 13 MF Marco Estrada 14 MF Romain Pitau (captain) 15 MF Jonathan Tinhan

No. Position Player 16 GK Geoffrey Jourdren 17 FW Olivier Giroud 18 FW Karim Aït-Fana 19 FW Souleymane Camara 20 MF Rémy Cabella 21 DF Abdel El Kaoutari 22 DF Benjamin Stambouli 23 MF Jamel Saihi 24 FW Bangali-Fodé Koita 25 DF Mathieu Deplagne 27 DF Cyril Jeunechamp 30 GK Jonathan Ligali 40 GK Baptiste Valette

Out on loan

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

No. Position Player 8 MF Guillaume Legras (at Martigues until the end of the 2011-12 Championnat National season) 28 MF Jonas Martin (at Amiens until the end of the 2011-12 Ligue 2 season) 31 DF Teddy Mézague (at Martigues until the end of the 2011-12 Championnat National season) 32 MF Adrian Coulomb (at Vannes until the end of the 2011-12 Championnat National season)

Reserve squad

As of 26 January 2011.^[2]

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

No. Position Player GK Jean-Baptiste Gueydon GK Baptiste Valette GK Steven Bouchité DF Antoine Jouan DF Jean-Yves Capasso DF Hugo Le Roux DF Mathieu Deplagne DF Bastien Borel DF Robin Lafarge DF Franck Minvielle

No. Position Player DF William Aho Abou DF Yann Djabou MF Florent André MF Ischam Berrached MF Anthoni Cabon MF Bryan Dabo MF Julien Lopez MF Dorian Santisteva FW Dmitri Sarasar FW Abdoul Karim Sylla

Notable former players

Below are the notable former players who have represented Montpellier in league and international competition since the club's foundation in 1919. To appear in the section below, a player must have played in at least 100 official matches for the club.

For a complete list of Montpellier HSC players, see Category:Montpellier HSC players

Pascal Baills Laurent Blanc Bruno Carotti René Dedieu Philippe Delaye Fabrice Divert Joseph Kaucsar Thierry Laurey Jean-Claude Lemoult Toifilou Maoulida Gérald Passi Rudy Riou Laurent Robert Roger Rolhion Jean-Christophe Rouvière

Roger Milla played with Montpellier from 1986–1989. Christophe Sanchez Franck Silvestre Jean-Marc Valadier Jacky Vergnes Kader Ferhaoui Michel Der Zakarian Habib Bamogo Abdoulaye Cissé Roger Milla Víctor Hugo Montaño Carlos Valderrama Fodé Mansaré Wilbert Suvrijn Nenad Džodić

Management and staff

Club officials

Montpellier HSC headquarters

Senior club staff^[3]

• President: Louis Nicollin
• Chairman: Laurent Nicollin
• Association Chairman: Gilbert Varlot
• Administrative Director: Philippe Peybernes
• Marketing Director: Benoît Le Quéré
• Communications Director: Pierre Bourdel
• Development Director: Fabrice Garcia
• Security Director: Pierre-Marie Grappin & Jacques Soares
• Sporting Director: Jean-François Domergue

Coaching and medicial staff^[4]

• Manager: René Girard
• Assistant Manager: Pascal Baills
• Goalkeeping Coach: Dominique Deplagne
• Fitness Coach: Nicolas Girard
• Doctor: René Raimondi
• Kinesiotherapy: Olivier Megel
• Osteopathy: Eric Perraux
• Intendant: Eric Commerie

Managerial history

Dates[5] Name 1924–1925 Victor Gibson 1936–1937 Jules Dewaquez 1937–1938 Istvan Berecz 1938–1939 Georges Azema 1945–1946 Gabriel Bénézech 1946–1948 Georges Kramer 1948–1950 Georges Winckelmans 1950–1951 Jean Bastien 1951–1952 Istvan Zavadsky 1952–1953 Luis Cazarro 1953–1954 Julien Darui 1954–1956 Marcel Tomazover 1956–1958 Istvan Zavadsky 1958–1963 Hervé Mirouze 1963–1968 Louis Favre 1968–1969 Roger Rolhion 1969–1970 Marian Borowski 1970–1974 Hervé Mirouze 1974–1976 André Cristol 1976 Louis Favre

Dates Name 1976–1980 Robert Nouzaret 1980–1982 Kader Firoud 1982–1984 Jacques Bonnet 1984–1985 Robert Nouzaret 1985–1987 Michel Mézy 1987–1989 Pierre Mosca 1989–1990 Aimé Jacquet 1990 Michel Mézy 1990–1992 Henryk Kasperczak 1992–1994 Gérard Gili 1994–1998 Michel Mézy 1998–2000 Jean-Louis Gasset 2000–2002 Michel Mézy 2002–2004 Gérard Bernardet 2004–2005 Robert Nouzaret 2005–2007 Jean-François Domergue 2007–2009 Rolland Courbis 2009–present René Girard

Honours

Domestic

• Ligue 2
  • Champions (3): 1946, 1961, 1987

• Coupe de France
  • Champions (2): 1929, 1990
  • Runners-Up (2): 1931, 1994

• Coupe de la Ligue
  • Runners-Up (1): 2011

• Division d'Honneur (Languedoc-Roussillon)
  • Champions (2): 1981, 1992^[6]

• Coupe Gambardella
  • Champions (2): 1996, 2009
  • Runners-Up (3): 1984, 1985, 1997

Europe

• UEFA Intertoto Cup
  • Winners (1): 1999

Other

• Division d'Honneur (Sud-Est)
  • Champions (3): 1928, 1932, 1976

• Coupe d'été
  • Champions (1): 1992

References

1. ^ "Groupe Pro" (in French). Montpellier HSC. http://www.mhscfoot.com/groupe-pro/les-joueurs. Retrieved 26 January 2011. 
2. ^ "Equipe Réserve" (in French). Montpellier HSC. http://www.mhscfoot.com/autres-equipes/cfa. Retrieved 26 January 2011. 
3. ^ "Organigramme" (in French). Montpellier HSC. http://www.mhscfoot.com/le-club/organigramme. Retrieved 26 January 2011. 
4. ^ "Le Staff" (in French). Montpellier HSC. http://www.mhscfoot.com/groupe-pro/le-staff. Retrieved 26 January 2011. 
5. ^ "France – Trainers of First and Second Division Clubs on RSSSF". RSSSF. http://www.rsssf.com/players/trainers-fran-clubs.html#m. Retrieved 23 July 2007. 
6. ^ The two DH titles won were achieved by the club's reserve team.

External links

• Official website