Olympique Alès
Encyclopedia
Olympique Alès is a French association football
club founded in 1923, based in the commune of Alès
. The Cévennes
club currently playing in the Division d'Honneur Régionale – the seventh division – of the Ligue du Languedoc
; the club in the past has played for six seasons in Ligue 1
. The OAC is currently at a low point in its history, having been relegated to the 7th division at the end of last season, whereas it played in the Ligue National – the 3rd division – just three seasons ago.
Over the last, disastrous, season, the club saw as many as three managers. In January 2006, Patrick Synaeghel was dismissed and replaced by Rudy Gargallo, who was then replaced in April by Henri Orlandini. Club president Claude Crégut resigned in March, when it was clear the club would not escape further relegation. The new trainer is Jose Carrascosa, and the new general manager is Jean-Marie Pasqualetti, a former player of the club.
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 founded in 1923, based in the commune of Alès
Alès
Alès is a commune in the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. It is one of the sub-prefectures of the department. It was formerly known as Alais.-Geography:...
. The Cévennes
Cévennes
The Cévennes are a range of mountains in south-central France, covering parts of the départements of Gard, Lozère, Ardèche, and Haute-Loire.The word Cévennes comes from the Gaulish Cebenna, which was Latinized by Julius Caesar to Cevenna...
club currently playing in the Division d'Honneur Régionale – the seventh division – of the Ligue du Languedoc
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
; the club in the past has played for six seasons in 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....
. The OAC is currently at a low point in its history, having been relegated to the 7th division at the end of last season, whereas it played in the Ligue National – the 3rd division – just three seasons ago.
Over the last, disastrous, season, the club saw as many as three managers. In January 2006, Patrick Synaeghel was dismissed and replaced by Rudy Gargallo, who was then replaced in April by Henri Orlandini. Club president Claude Crégut resigned in March, when it was clear the club would not escape further relegation. The new trainer is Jose Carrascosa, and the new general manager is Jean-Marie Pasqualetti, a former player of the club.
Honours
- Champion of France D2Ligue 2Ligue 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...
: 1957 - Champion of France D2-Sud, the Ligue 2's predecessor: 1934
- Vice-champion of France D2Ligue 2Ligue 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...
: 1947 - Semi finalists at the Coupe de FranceCoupe de FranceThe 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...
: 1987 (eliminated by Girondins de BordeauxFC Girondins de BordeauxFootball Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....
0–0, 2–2)
Notable former players
- Pierre PibarotPierre PibarotPierre Pibarot, was a French football player and legendary football manager. He was born in Alès, France.A product of the Olympique Alès youth programme, Pibarot left Alès briefly in 1932 to play for the now-defunct sporting club attached to the lycée Victor Hugo-de-Marseille...
, (1934–1940), later manager 1945–49, when he perfected his famed defensive strategy - Roman OgazaRoman OgazaRoman Grzegorz Ogaza was a Polish football player.-Life and work:Roman Ogaza was born 17 November in Katowice. He was a striker...
(1984–1986) - Franck Rizzetto (1991–1992)
- Sabri LamouchiSabri LamouchiSabri Lamouchi is a French football midfielder of Tunisian descent.Lamouchi started his professional career with Alès in France. During his time there, he impressed Auxerre and played with them for four years. He then went on to join Monaco before being snapped up by Parma of Italy...
(1991–1994) - Cédric BarbosaCédric BarbosaCédric Barbosa is a French professional football player, currently playing with Évian Thonon Gaillard FC.- Career :Barbosa is a midfielder and lists Olympique Alès, Montpellier SC and Stade Rennais as his former clubs...
(1994–1997) - Sébastien Soulas (1993–2002)
- Sylvain Sansone (1999–2003)
- André Basile (1998–2003), manager 2003–2005
- Franck RibéryFranck RibéryFranck Ribéry is a French international footballer who currently plays for German club Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. He primarily plays as a winger, preferably on the left side, and is known for "pace, energy, skill and precise passing." Ribéry is described as a player who is "fast, tricky and...
(2002–2003) - Kodjo Homon (1997– ) current captain.
- Joe GaetjensJoe GaetjensJoseph Edouard Gaetjens was a Haitian soccer player who played for the United States national team in the 1950 FIFA World Cup, scoring the winning goal in the 1–0 upset of England.- Early life :...
(1951–1954)