FC Metz - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Football Club de Metz, commonly referred to as simply Metz (mɛs), is a French association football

Football in France

Football is the most popular sport in France. The Fédération Française de Football is the national governing bodyand is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of association football in the country, both professional and amateur...

club based in Metz

Metz

Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...

. The club was formed in 1932 and has spent most of its history in the Ligue 1

Ligue 1

Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....

, though they currently play in Ligue 2

Ligue 2

Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...

, the second level in French football league system

French football league system

The French football league system is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in France. At the top two levels of the system is the Ligue de Football Professionnel, which consists of two professional national divisions, Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. Below that are a number of leagues run by the...

. Metz plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal Saint-Symphorien

Stade Municipal Saint-Symphorien

Stade Municipal Saint-Symphorien is a multi-purpose stadium in Metz, France. It is currently used mostly for football matches, by FC Metz. The stadium is able to hold 26,700 people and was built in 1923....

located within the city. The team is managed by Dominique Bijotat

Dominique Bijotat

Dominique Bijotat is a former professional French football midfielder from France, who obtained eight international caps for the French national team during the 1980s.-Career:...

and captained by midfielder Ludovic Guerriero

Ludovic Guerriero

Ludovic Guerriero is a French football defensive midfielder, currently with FC Metz.-Professional club career:...

History

FC Metz was founded in 1932 by the amalgamation of two amateur athletic clubs, and shortly thereafter became a professional team; it is one of the oldest professional football teams in France. Its roots trace back further, to the SpVgg Metz club, formed in 1905 when the city of Metz was part of the German Empire

German Empire

The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...

. SpVgg played in the tier-one Westkreis-Liga
Westkreis-Liga
The Westkreis-Liga was the highest association football league in the Bavarian region of Palatinate, the northern parts of the Grand Duchy of Baden, the southern parts of the Prussian Rhine Province and parts of Lorraine from 1908 to 1918...

for a season in 1913–14, before the outbreak of the First World War stopped all play. Some players of this club were part of the Cercle Athlétique Messin in 1919, which went on to become FC Metz in 1932. Messin was a leading club in the Division d'Honneur – Lorraine, taking out league titles in 1920, 1921, 1922, 1924, 1926, 1927, 1929 and 1931.

The club played in the French second division north

Ligue 2

from 1933, winning the league in 1935 and earning promotion to Ligue 1

Ligue 1

for the first time. The team became a mid-table side in the first division until the outbreak of the war interfered with play once more. FCM did not take part in the top-tier regional competitions in 1939–40.

During the 2nd World War, the Moselle

Moselle

Moselle is a department in the east of France named after the river Moselle.- History :Moselle is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...

département being annexed by Germany, the club had to play under the Germanised name of FV Metz in the Gauliga Westmark. In the three completed seasons of this league from 1941 to 1944, the club finished runners-up each year.

Despite the city of Metz being retaken by allied forces in autumn 1944, the club did not take part in French league football in 1944–45 but returned to Ligue 1 in 1945–46, to come 17th out of 18 clubs. An expansion of the league to 20 clubs meant, the team was not relegated and stayed at the highest level until 1950, when a last place finish ended its Ligue 1 membership.

The club rebounded immediately, finishing second in Ligue 2, behind Olympique Lyon and returned to the first division. FC Metz made a strong return to this league, finishing fifth in its first season back. After this, the club once more had to battle against relegation season-by-season, finishing second-last in 1958 and having to return to Ligue 2. It took three seasons in this league before it could manage to return to Ligue 1 in 1961, but lasted for only one year in the top flight. FC Metz spent the next five seasons at second division level.

FC Metz ascended to the top level of French football once more in 1967; the team remained in the highest division until they were relegated in 2001, although they bounced back immediately and returned to the Ligue 1

Ligue 1

the following year. In 2006 they were relegated again. In 1998 the team competed in the qualifications to the Uefa Champions League

UEFA Champions League

The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

but lost in the third round to Finnish team HJK Helsinki

HJK Helsinki

Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi , internationally known as HJK Helsinki, is a Finnish football club, based in the capital Helsinki...

.

FC Metz plays its home matches at the stade Saint-Symphorien, which has a capacity of 26,700. Its official colors are grenat (maroon) and white, from which the team derives its nickname Les Grenats. The team's crest features the Lorraine cross

Cross of Lorraine

The Cross of Lorraine is originally a heraldic cross. The two-barred cross consists of a vertical line crossed by two smaller horizontal bars. In the ancient version, both bars were of the same length. In 20th century use it is "graded" with the upper bar being the shortest...

, symbolic of the team's regional affiliation, and the dragon called the Graoully, which in local legend was tamed by Saint Clement of Metz.

FC Metz also gained recognition in France and Europe for its successful youth academy, which produced star players including: Jean-Philippe Rohr

Jean-Philippe Rohr

Jean-Philippe Rohr is a retired French professional footballer.Rohr was a member of the French squad that won the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California.-External links:**...

, Sylvain Kastendeuch

Sylvain Kastendeuch

Sylvain Kastendeuch is a former French football player, who played for the France national team 9 times. He is the fifth player with the most appearances in French championship. All along his career, he has never received any red cards.-References and notes:...

, Michel Ettore

Michel Ettore

Michel Ettore is a retired French footballer. He played with FC Metz.-References:*...

, Philippe Gaillot

Philippe Gaillot

Philippe Gaillot is a retired French football defender.-External links:...

, Philippe Hinschberger

Philippe Hinschberger

Philippe Hinschberger is a retired French football player who played with FC Metz.After retiring as a player Hinsberger has managed CS Louhans-Cuiseaux, Chamois Niortais and Le Havre; he has been manager of Laval since 2007.-References:...

, Carmelo Micciche

Carmelo Micciche

Carmelo Micciche is a French former football striker. Born in Lorraine, he played for local clubs FC Metz and AS Nancy-External links:* *...

, Cyril Serredzum, David Terrier

David Terrier

David Terrier is a retired French football defender who last played for US Créteil. He played for FC Metz and AC Ajaccio in Ligue 1.-Clubs:*1992-1997: FC Metz*1997-1998: West Ham United*1998-1999: Newcastle United...

, Jeff Strasser

Jeff Strasser

Jeff Strasser is a Luxembourgian footballer, who currently manages CS Fola Esch. - Club career :As one of the rare successful professional footballers from Luxembourg, Strasser has made a fairly successful career in French and German first divisions...

, Cyrille Pouget

Cyrille Pouget

Cyrille Pouget is a French former professional football player.-External links:*...

, Rigobert Song

Rigobert Song

Rigobert Song Bahanag is a former Cameroonian footballer who is currently a main consultant for the famous sports channel 'Orange sports'. Although receiving many propositions from top clubs, Song declined. Song played for Kosovo super league club KF Drenica, when his contract after season 2010/12...

, Robert Pirès

Robert Pirès

Robert Emmanuel Pirès is a former French international footballer. He is perhaps best known for his time with Arsenal, with whom he won three FA Cups and two FA Premier League titles including the club's famous unbeaten season of 2003–04...

, Louis Saha

Louis Saha

Louis Laurent Saha is a French footballer of Guadelupian origin who currently plays as a forward for Everton FC in the Premier League and the France national team. A former scholar at the Clairefontaine football academy, he started his career at Metz before playing on loan at Newcastle United...

, Nasredine Kraouche, Grégory Proment

Grégory Proment

Grégory Proment is a French football midfielder. He currently plays for French club SM Caen in Ligue 1.-External links:...

, Emmanuel Adebayor

Emmanuel Adebayor

Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor is a Togolese footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur as a striker on loan from Manchester City. He plays in the same position for the Togo national team. Adebayor previously played for Metz, Monaco and Arsenal and was voted African Footballer of the Year for 2008...

, Miralem Pjanić

Miralem Pjanic

Miralem Pjanić is a Bosnian football player who plays for Italian club Roma in Serie A. He plays as an attacking midfielder and has been described as an "old-fashioned playmaker with huge technical qualities"....

Current squad

As of 9 June, 2011

Notable players

Below are the notable former players who have represented Metz in league

Ligue 1

and international competition since the club's foundation in 1932. 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 FC Metz players, see :Category:FC Metz players
Patrick Battiston

Patrick Battiston

Patrick Battiston is a former French football player, who played for the France national team in three World Cups and won the 1984 European Football Championship.-Club career:...

Jocelyn Blanchard

Jocelyn Blanchard is a French footballer currently a Free Agent after having being Released by Austria Kärnten After the Club went into Liquidation in 2010.- Career :...

Albert Cartier

Albert Cartier, born November 22, 1960, in Vagney, Vosges, is a former football player and manager.-Coaching career:He was fired from FC Brussels on January 2008 for bad results and did not reach a new agreement with RAEC Mons. On 12 January 2010 the French coach has left Panthrakikos, a...

Michel Ettore

Michel Ettore is a retired French footballer. He played with FC Metz.-References:*...

Philippe Gaillot

Philippe Gaillot is a retired French football defender.-External links:...

Philippe Hinschberger

Sylvain Kastendeuch

Lionel Letizi

Lionel Letizi is a French former professional football goalkeeper. He played 4 matches for the France national team.-France:...

Frédéric Meyrieu

Frédéric Meyrieu is a retired French football player.-External links:...

Pascal Pierre

Pascal Pierre is a retired French football defender.-External links:...

Robert Pirès

André Rey

André Rey is a French retired professional football goalkeeper.-External links:**...

Jean-Philippe Rohr

Franck Signorino

Franck Eddy Signorino is a French footballer who plays S. du Pays de Charleroi in Belgium, as a left defender.-Football career:...

Luc Sonor

Luc Sonor is a former French international footballer who played in both France and Scotland.-Club career:His clubs include CS Sedan Ardennes, FC Metz, AS Monaco and Ayr United....

Bernard Zénier

Bernard Zénier is a French former professional football player.-Titles:* Division 1 top goalscorer in 1986-87 with FC Metz* Division 1 1984 with Girondins de Bordeaux...

Hugo Curioni

Hugo Alberto Curioni is a retired Argentine football centre forward. He played professional football in Argentina, France and Mexico.-Argentina:...

Danny Boffin

Daniel "Danny" Edouward Boffin is a retired Belgian footballer who played as a left winger.During his professional career, which spanned nearly two decades, he played for four clubs in his country - most notably Anderlecht - and one in France, appearing in nearly 600 official games as a...

Sébastien Bassong

Sébastien Aymar Bassong Nguena is a French-born Cameroonian football defender who plays for Tottenham Hotspur and the Cameroon national football team.-Early career:...

Jacques Songo'o

Jacques Celestin Songo'o is a retired Cameroonian footballer, who played as a goalkeeper.Spent the vast majority of his professional career in France and Spain, also representing the Cameroonian national team in four FIFA World Cups.-Club career:After first establishing himself as a professional...

Rigobert Song

Nico Braun

Nico Braun is a former footballer from Luxembourg.-Club career:He played for foreign clubs almost all of his career, predominantly in France, but also in Germany, before returning to his original club, Union Luxembourg....

Jeff Strasser

Ludovic Obraniak

Ludovic Joseph Obraniak is a Polish-French footballer currently playing for Ligue 1 side Lille OSC and the Polish national football team. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder.-FC Metz:...

Eric Black

Eric Black is a former professional football player who played for Aberdeen and Metz. He played in attack. He won 2 international caps for Scotland. He was caretaker manager at Birmingham City following the departure of Steve Bruce. He is currently caretaker manager at Sunderland A.F.C...

Tony Kurbos

Zvonko "Toni" Kurbos, better known as Tony Kurbos is a retired Slovenian-German football player who was a prolific striker, scoring almost 100 goals in his relatively short career....

Current staff

Head Coach

Dominique Bijotat
Dominique Bijotat
Dominique Bijotat is a former professional French football midfielder from France, who obtained eight international caps for the French national team during the 1980s.-Career:...

Assistant Coach

Patrick Hesse

Goalkeeper Coach

Jean-Pascal Singla

Reserve team coach

José Pinot

U19

Olivier Perrin

U17

Sébastien Muet

Doctor

André Marie

Masseur

Luc Labeeu
Jacques Muller

Managerial history

George Kimpton (?-?) Ted Maghner (1937–38)

Paul Thomas (1938–39) Peter Fabian (1940–41) Charles Fosset (1944–45) Bep Bakhuys (1945–46) François Odry (1946) Ted Maghner (1946–47) Nicolas Hibst
Nicolas Hibst
Nicolas Hibst was a French association football player and manager. During his career, he played in Division 1 and Division 2 with FC Metz and AS Saint-Étienne and was part of the Metz side which lost the 1938 Coupe de France final....

(1947) Charles Fosset (1947–49) Oscar Saggiero (1949–50) Ignace Kowalczyk
Ignace Kowalczyk
Ignatz Kowalczyk was a German-French footballer. Born in Castrop, he is of Polish descent.-External links:* *...

(1950) Emile Veinante
Émile Veinante
Émile Veinante was a French footballer and coach.Veinante was primarily a forward. He began his club career in 1916 with the youth squad at FC Metz, which was at that time still in German-controlled Alsace-Lorraine...

(1950–51) Elie Rous
Elie Rous
Elie Rous was a French football manager.Rous led Racing Paris to the 1940 Coupe de France title, and was runner-up with Sète in 1942.He later coached Nice in 1950, and Metz between 1951 and 1952.-References:...

(1951–52) Emile Rummelhardt
Emile Rummelhardt
Émile Rummelhardt was a French professional footballer and manager. He was born 12 January 1914 in Mulhouse and died 15 January 1978 in Mérignac .- Career :...

(1952–55) André Watrin (1955) Jacques Favre (1955–58) Marcel Tomazover
Marcel Tomazover
Marcel Tomazover is a former French footballer and coach. He was born in Paris.He played his professional career as a left winger for Roubaix and Sète, in the 1930s and 1940s, before becoming a famous coach....

(1958) Désiré Koranyi
Désiré Koranyi
Désiré Koranyi , aka Dezsõ Korányi or Dezsõ Kronenberger, was a Hungarian-French football player. He played club football most notably with FC Sète where he won the Division 1 in 1938-39...

(1958–59) Robert Lacoste (1959) Jules Nagy (1959–63) Jacques Favre (1963–66)

Max Schirschin

Max Schirschin is German former footballer and football manager.He played for Schalke 04, Angers, Le Havre, Rouen and RC Maison-Carrée.He coached Rouen, Gent, Fortuna '54, Metz and Le Havre. and Bastia.-References:...

(1966–67) Max Schirschin

Max Schirschin

and

René Fuchs (1967–68) Pierre Flamion

Pierre Flamion

Pierre Flamion was a French footballer who played striker and a manager.-Titles:As a player*French championship in 1949 with Stade de Reims*Coupe de France in 1950 with Stade de Reims-References:* *...

(1968–70) René Fuchs (1970–71) Jacques Favre and Robert Zvunka (1971–72) René Vernier (1972–75) Georges Huart (1975–78) Marc Rastoll (1978–79) Marc Rastoll and Jean Snella (1979–80) Henryk Kasperczak

Henryk Kasperczak

Henryk Wojciech Kasperczak is a Polish football manager and a football player.As a player, Kasperczak took part in two FIFA World Cups with Poland, achieving third place in 1974, as well as a silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada.As a manager, Kasperczak enjoyed most...

(1980–84) Marcel Husson (1984–89) Henri Depireux

Henri Depireux

Henri Depireux is a former Belgian football player.-Career:Depireux played club football for R.F.C. de Liège and Standard de Liège. He also played twice for Belgium....

(1989 – December 89) Joël Muller

Joël Müller

Joël Müller, born January 2, 1952, in Donchery, France, is a former football player and manager, currently working as a technical director for FC Metz.-References:...

(December 1989 – December 2000) Albert Cartier

Albert Cartier

(December 2000 – 2 January) Francis De Taddeo (January 2002) Gilbert Gress (January 2002-02) Jean Fernandez

Jean Fernandez

Jean Fernandez is a football manager, currently manages AS Nancy. He has previously managed FC Metz and Olympique Marseille, where French national team star Franck Ribéry saw him as a mentor...

(2002–05) Joël Muller

Joël Müller

Joël Müller, born January 2, 1952, in Donchery, France, is a former football player and manager, currently working as a technical director for FC Metz.-References:...

(2005–06) Francis De Taddeo (2006–07) Yvon Pouliquen (2007–10) Joël Muller

Joël Müller

Joël Müller, born January 2, 1952, in Donchery, France, is a former football player and manager, currently working as a technical director for FC Metz.-References:...

(2010) Dominique Bijotat

Dominique Bijotat

Dominique Bijotat is a former professional French football midfielder from France, who obtained eight international caps for the French national team during the 1980s.-Career:...

(2010–)

Honours

FC Metz has never won the French championship; its best result was a second-place finish in 1998, behind RC Lens

RC Lens

Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...

. Metz won the Coupe de France

Coupe de France

The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...

twice, in 1984 and 1988, the first of these victories enabled it to qualify for the European Cup Winners' Cup where it achieved arguably the team's greatest moment, an upset of FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona

Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

in the first round of the competition in October 1984. It lost 4–2 at home in the first leg but won 4–1 away in the return leg, thus qualifying 6–5 on aggregate. FC Metz also won the Coupe de la Ligue

Coupe de la Ligue

The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...

twice, in 1986 and 1996, and has made a total of ten appearances in European tournaments.

Ligue 2
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
- Winners (2): 1934–35, 2006–07
Coupe de France
Coupe de France
The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
- Winners (2): 1984, 1988
- Runners-up (1): 1938
Coupe de la Ligue
Coupe de la Ligue
The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
- Winners (2): 1986
  Coupe de la Ligue
  The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
  
  , 1996
- Runners-up (1): 1999

External links

Official website

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