Most loser French clubs

Discussion in 'France' started by Catel, Sep 28, 2009.

  1. Catel

    Catel Member

    Dec 18, 2006
    Lyon, France
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    Because there's not only Sevilla '82 or Zidane's head.


    8) Reims
    In the pre-history of the French football, the 50's, Reims was the "big force", an French equivalent to Milan AC or Real Madrid, winning 6 titles and other Cups. Precisely they were honoured to be the first club ever to lose a final of a Europe Cup. It was in 1956 against... Real Madrid. Three years later they... lost another final against... Real Madrid. Too bad Di Stefano's team was once of the best that History ever knew. But as a sign of the fate, Reims inaugurated an unstoppable era of lose for French football.
    More than their NT stars Just Fontaine or Raymond Kopa, Reims' main asset was his coach, Albert Batteux, maybe the best French coach ever. He left in 1962. What next ? Well... nothing. Reims collapsed surprisingly fast and they never did anything else in their history. They moved up and down for 20 years, living a short revival in the 70's with their Argentinian striker Carlos Bianchi (later a PSG legend), and lost the French Cup final in 1977. Then they disappeared, between D2 and D3 for years now. Last season they moved down to D3 whereas they could hold a solid midtable rank...


    7) Toulouse
    Is a rugby city. Football has always been secondary here. There is an "old" TFC, Toulouse Football Club (1937-1967) and the "actual" one (created in 1970). At least the old one won the French Cup once. Losing is "Tef"'s nature. If they play the tiny amateur team in Cup, they'll lose. If they play a team that always loses, this team will win. In the 80's this club knew some good moments and a 3rd place with an Argentinian genius (Beto Marcico) and some good players (Yannick Stopyra, Alberto Tarantini). They beat Maradona's Napoli on shootouts. In 1998 they're relegated in D3 just after the chairman promised the Champion's League to the fans. Directed by Olivier Sadran, Toulouse is living the best years of his history. In 2007 they finally qualify for the CL 3rd round. Liverpool give'em five (0-1, 4-0) and they're so shocked they almost fall down on that season. Of course, no results yet in any Cup.


    6) Brest
    One of the main French ports and an important working city. Football should have found a cosy home there. Indeed, in the late 80's, Brest Armorique was represented by David Ginola, Paul le Guen, Vincent Guérin, Bernard Lama, Claude Makélélé and the great Roberto Cabañas. So they finished... 8th. Chairman Yvinec litteraly paid for his management: the club was relegated and all those players left, mainly for PSG (the fans never forgave. It's traditionnaly hate/love between Britanny and Paris). Since then Brest alternates between D2, D3 and D4 in a drowned stadium (it never rains in Britanny. It's invigorating). Those last years they finish in D2 midtable every year. So why would they commit suicide ? Because for years they dreamt of a great Cup course, a semi or something. And before they even could see it, their worst enemy, Guingamp, won the trophy by pure chance...


    5) Strasbourg
    Not as loser as some other clubs. Strasbourg was French champion in 1979 (with Raymond Domenech as right back*) and won five different Cups including two recently (2001 and 2005). Their reputation comes from their organization: they're known as the "Eastern Marseille" and that's already chilling. The organization table is more than obscure, the managers competences are... disputed and the global efficiency is... uncertain. The most visible aspect is the transfers. The transfer season of Strasbourg generally consists of selling the best players for peanuts and buying so-called "stars" coming from leagues you couldn't point on a map and leaving the club by the backdoor on 31th January. Besides all of that, Strasbourg's season consists on falling to Ligue 2. Every year. Hot news: there's been a revolution one month ago, the shareholder who has left his chairman post last year is now chairman again, the coach is dismissed after one match and Strasbourg is 20th of the league.
    *you know you HATE this club.


    4) PSG
    PSG. The cursed club. The Devil One took it over and boy, he has FUN with it. When a French hears the name of "PSG", he either laughs to death or suddenly feels a strange uneasiness. It's the French Parma. They are the World most reknowned Cups specialists: no less than eleven Cups, including of European Cup of Cups, in 35 years in First Division. But never, never, never anything in the Championship. Only two titles, and an incredible irregularity year from year. For Paris, winning two Cups in two years is normal. Finishing 5th two years in a row is almost historic. That would be normal... if their budget wasn't the 3rd of 4th bigger of the League. The owners of the club think about suicide every year, when they have to cover the deficit. Canal Plus was too happy to get rid of rid of this plague to Colony Capital, who thinks the same now. Imagine a nightmare you have every night but you want to revive, hoping to see a better end... and never get it.


    3) Saint-Etienne
    1982. Saint-Etienne is champion. That makes ten titles and ten Cups for THE French club of the late 60's-mid 70's. Michel Platini leaves without exaucing Roger Rocher's wish to be the first French club winning a Europe Cup ever. In 1976, les Verts had reached a final, for the first time since Reims. Of course, they lost (we're romantic. More than Bayern). The ecstatic people cheered them on the Champs-Elysées. They're still the symbol of the French lose. We rather talk about this sympathic and very popular team than about the victory of Marseille in 1993 - popular, but not as sympathic. Back to 1982. Rocher is sentenced to jail for slush funds. It's over for him... and the club. NOTHING ever since - and I mean it. Three relegations including two administrative. Incapables coming after the incompetents. Best rankings ? 4th and 6th. Best Cup results ? The semis - at the best. Do you think it's a fair reward for the 35 000 fans who keep fill in the "Chaudron" and make it trembling at every match ! Alas, football is essentially, deeply, mercilessly unfair. As is life.


    2) Marseille
    How did the Bernard Tapie's early 90's best team of Europe and winning-machine end up as a congenital loser - 17 years in a row without an only title despite of their biggest or 2nd budget of the League ? Maybe "Nanard" had made a pact with the Devil, because the results of the club are absolutely not as bad as it looks: 3 times 2nd of the League, 2 times 3rd, 2 Cups finals and 2 European Cups finals - all lost. I wondered many times if it wasn't because Marseille fans are the only in Europe who consider that the European Cup is MORE important than anything else - unconsciously or not, that's what they want to win, because they did once, and they WANT to feel that once more - but they simply can't. It can explain why they never do anything in the League - they aren't just interested in it. But I still can't figure why they lose every final. The "winning fear" has often been debated in France. Maybe it's a clue. Has the 1993 team to remain the last and only team of Marseille ?


    1) Rennes
    It could have been Marseille or St-Etienne rather than an quiet unknown club. But Rennes is a phenomenon. Jean Prouff is a local legend: no other coach than him could ever WIN something with this club. Precisely two Cups in 1965 and 1971. You must agree it's an authentic exploit. During the recent years Rennes got good results but incapable to do better than qualifying for UEFA. In 2007 they achieved to miss the Champion's League spot for a goal scored by Lille at the 95' of the last match... And worst of all, just a few weeks ago: Rennes reaches the Cup final for the first time since 38 years. It was a unique, historic opportunity. THEY LOST BEFORE A D2 TEAM.
    Losers.
     
  2. SportBoy333

    SportBoy333 Member+

    Jun 27, 2003
    What about Nice ? They were a big club in the '50's. Also what about RC Paris and Red Star ?
     
  3. AfrcnHrbMan

    AfrcnHrbMan Member

    Jun 14, 2004
    Philly
    Club:
    Olympique Lyonnais
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    Ha that was a good read. Did you write that yourself. It sucks that we do so poorly in european competitions. Even Marseille's victory is tainted.
     
  4. Pierre-Henri

    Pierre-Henri New Member

    Jun 7, 2004
    Strasbourg, France.
    As a Strasbourg masochist... I mean supporter, I must add that, during the 2007-2008 season, we beat the all-time Ligue 1 record of losing streak with 11 losses in a row. We're a very special team, you see.
     
  5. BlueSea

    BlueSea New Member

    Nov 16, 2009
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Excuse me, maybe I have posted this in wrong thread but I'm a newmember an I don't know where to post. I'm a football fan from Vietnam. I'm collecting Vienamese oversea football players around the world. I have heard that there is such a player in Reims. His name's Johnny Nguyen. So, could you please help me how to contact with him (e-mail, Facebook...)? I thank you so much.
     
  6. TiltoKolapsas

    TiltoKolapsas New Member

    Feb 2, 2010
    Pennsylvania
    Club:
    Bolton Wanderers FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This post is tres drole, vraiment. Do you write regularly anywhere, Catel?

    Only I do not quite see why Rennes is #1 of all those loser teams. They have been in the top 10 for the last five years or more? What do they expect?
     
  7. qwidgibo

    qwidgibo New Member

    Nov 9, 2009
    Genève, Switzerland
    Club:
    Paris Saint Germain FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Switzerland
     
  8. Catel

    Catel Member

    Dec 18, 2006
    Lyon, France
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    Grenoble is just a tiny club as many others. Did they have any pretention ? Should I put in the list every L1 "Upside down champion" (as les Cahiers du foot say) ? There has to be a 20th...
     
  9. qwidgibo

    qwidgibo New Member

    Nov 9, 2009
    Genève, Switzerland
    Club:
    Paris Saint Germain FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Switzerland
    That may be true but they are 38 points out so I think they deserve to be listed.
     
  10. Nanbawan

    Nanbawan Member

    Jun 11, 2004
    Haute Bretagne
    Club:
    Stade Rennais FC
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    Yeah, not exactly losers...Like I said there, the SRFC has perfected the art of being perennial near achievers to (near) perfection...

    If they always lost, that wouldn't be funny, so the expectation has to build and THEN you fail miserably ! But hey, that's what make them attaching to the wry Celtic soul of the Bretons !

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7CWlDXSdPQ"]YouTube- la melancolie/Miossec[/ame]
     
  11. SportBoy333

    SportBoy333 Member+

    Jun 27, 2003
    Rennes are losers because they lost to Guingamp last year in the French cup semi finals and this year they lost in the French Cup to an amatuer team.
     
  12. SportsGuru

    SportsGuru New Member

    Nov 30, 2009
    USA
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Sad to know about that new on Rennes. But somehow, they should also earn
    respect for the points they have made. :)
     
  13. Nanbawan

    Nanbawan Member

    Jun 11, 2004
    Haute Bretagne
    Club:
    Stade Rennais FC
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    We lost to Guingamp in the FINAL. Like I said, we have to fail big time...

    It's been happening to many teams those past years and in a way, that game against Quevilly just took place a few days after the Bordeaux exploit which indeed proved to be a turning point in Rennes' season. Not the one I expected though...:(
     
  14. Catel

    Catel Member

    Dec 18, 2006
    Lyon, France
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    Hey hey Rennes

    :(
     
  15. Nanbawan

    Nanbawan Member

    Jun 11, 2004
    Haute Bretagne
    Club:
    Stade Rennais FC
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    After a certain period of time, you get psychologically prepared to this kind of stuff. The same can't be same about the team whenever they have a high stake game though...

    So, once again like I already said several time, Rennes are just sadistic because they know how to build the momentum before miserably falling flat ; they could have been eliminated months ago an nobody would care but no, they do it in the semi to offer a place in the final (which BTW would have virtually given them a place in Europe) to an amateur team in the dying seconds of the match. Well done guys, your ability to humiliate yourself, your club and your fans in the most spectacular and resounding way is unparalleled...

    Rennes, dropping your magnificent much awaited birthday cake on the floor since like ever...

    [​IMG] [​IMG]

    Now, if you excuse me, I'll need some candies...

    [​IMG]
     
  16. Catel

    Catel Member

    Dec 18, 2006
    Lyon, France
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    Stade Rennais confirmed as overloser of French football.
     
  17. Catel

    Catel Member

    Dec 18, 2006
    Lyon, France
    Nat'l Team:
    France
    OMG SOMETHING HAPPENED TONIGHT
     
    La Magica and Kamtedrejt repped this.

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