Just saw that this once great club didn't have a thread so I figured I would start one here. I started following Auxerre just a little bit back in the days of Cisse, Mexes, Kalou. I grabbed an Auxerre scarf back in 1998 while in Paris for the World Cup. My thought was since I was from New Orleans, and Auxerre was the closest Non-Parisian club to Orleans, that I would lend my support. Later one I found out that the club was founded by Abbot Deschamps back in the early 1900's, as a place for Catholic boys to play sports. This is near and dear to my heart as I would love to do the same thing in the Bible Belt. Guy Roux was the legendary coach, technical director, genius of the club for many years. Well hard times have come, and they were relegated last season. The final match was against Montpellier, the champions, and the crowd was awful. Throwing flares, etc, caused a 20+ minute delay. As expected many of the "stars" left, but one name that remains is Anthony Le Tallec, formerly the wunderkind that Liverpool signed oh so many years back. Well he's got two goals and one assist, maybe he has finally found his level in Ligue 2.
I believe that my most memorable Guy Roux moment is when he ran along the pitch yelling to get the ball that went in the stands back. Unforgettable.
Some Ligue 2 highlights: This was the first home game after last season's crowd trouble, thus the empty Abbe Deschamps Stadium. Best part: 3:22 - Le Tallec scores a tap in then runs off to celebrate in front of the empty seats. Hilarious!
it starts out by showing the director of AJA... who unsurprisingly, when you know that the full name is Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise (and have a little experience interpreting that) is a priest*. the rest gives a few details about the club's catholic origins and at the end a local journalist talks about the "miracle" of a club in such a small town playing in L1 and the CL and evokes a possible heavenly patronage by the founder abbé deschamps. the video was probably made by the diocese. one thing is for sure. the miracle is over.
The director is a priest? I thought the club had given up on its Catholic roots like the rest of France? Does the journalist or you say that the miracle is over?[/media][/quote]
I see my attempt at a double quote didn't work. I knew about the Abbot Deschamps and the history of the club, I am surprised that priest is a director in the club. I thought the club abandoned their Catholic roots over the years like the rest of France. Was it the journo or you saying that the "miracle is over"?
How about this version: Hi! Father Joel is the pastor of the Cathedral of Auxerre. Every night game, he has a reserved seat in gallery. For 5 years, this priest is also director of the AJA, the Youth Association Auxerroise. In fact, patronage created in 1905 by a visionary pastor, the Abbée Deschamps. The man gave his name to the stadium. It also has this flag in the shape of a Maltese cross. A blue flag , in reference to the Virgin. Few things eventually. For a century later, we only know of AJA that the football club to copy charts: 4 cups of France, 3 participations in Champions League, more than 30 years in professional league And though the club seems to have long forgotten his Christian references, there is perhaps one borrowed, one mind. one of the Abbé Deschamps. Type illuminated says: "It is true that we have the used to say Auxerre is a bit of a miracle Standing in professional football, given the size of the city 37,000 inhabitants, 50,000 basin, 330,000 wholesale department is still quite low in population and a club league that continues in the European Cup, it is literally miraculous. So is that it is a gift from heaven, which protects the Abbe Deschamps will flock so that it keeps this place in the sun among the elite football exagonal and even European, perhaps we not known, but it's true that there is a miraculous side in this life. " But the miracle that should we? To these players salaries of stars? Or a legacy: that of the founding priest . "
that translation is ok. the vid was evidently before AJA went down or was even headed that way. father joel is not president of the club but of the association that it's become a semi-independent part of. france is not the catholic country italy or spain are, but that's from waaaaay back (say 1789!). however, sports clubs are often in some way linked to the church some way. basketball is a good case in point. some clubs have "dead giveaway" names CSP Limoges (Cercle St-Pierre) CJD Dijon (Cercle Jeanne D'arc) or STB Le Havre (St. Thomas Basket). for more subtler indications, if you find the words jeune, élan, or étoile in the full club name it is almost certainly of parochial origin. to the point that one often encounters the word laïc in basketball club names underscoring that the club is not connected to the RC church. curiously, Chorale de Roanne is lay... unexpected because almost all choruses are church run to some extent! however, if there ever was any kind of antipathy between church clubs and others, it was never very strong and has completely disappeared today; most kids and fans are hardly aware of the distinction. for proof, i think 95% of the kids who play for our neighborhood football club étoile sportive trinité are observing ramadan right now!
Of all the major clubs, Auxerre was the only one founded by the Church, is that right? Apparently the club attends mass twice a year at the Cathedral, and for special occasions (funerals, weddings, etc).
the full name of Espérance Sportive Troyes Aube Champagne makes me think l'ESTAC has similar origins.
wiki says: Espérance Sportive Troyes Aube Champagne is a French association football club, based in Troyes. It was founded in 1986. It is the third professional club from Troyes in history, after ASTS and TAF. The club was promoted three times to the Ligue 1, at first 1999, then in 2005 and in 2012. They won the Intertoto Cup in 2001 after beating Newcastle United on the away goals rule after the score was 4 – 4 on aggregate – all goals being scored in the second leg at Newcastle. They currently play in Ligue 1.
Auxerre sells Le Tallec, teams leading scorer. I think he will suck in Ligue 1. Hopefully they got some cash. I don't think Auxerre will be going up any time soon.
Still meddling mid table. I also see that they've sold Boly and that Haller is off on loan. I hope that they can get it figured out as I'd love to make it there for a match.
@panicfc Any info on academy players? As long as they can stay up in Ligue 2 they can make it back. Just curious on an prospects they have on moving up in the next couple of years?
can't offer much. They changed their website a few years back and it was hideous, so I stopped paying much attention other than following on Facebook.
No, I started this thread almost 3 years ago. Seemed one of the famous clubs in France deserved a thread. Very little interest in the thread. One day I do plan on visiting Auxerre and St. Etienne, just not sure when.
auxerre is a pretty little town, with a quirky and quaint little cathedral. a drive from there down through vézelay, chateau-chinon, autun, paray-le-monial... you can get lost in that neck of the woods and never want to be found. for me the prettiest part of the prettiest country in europe. downtown sainté isn't as bad a town as all that to spend an afternoon. the have a modern art museum well worth a visit and a tramway that takes you to all the parts you could want to see quite painlessly. it's a bizarro world though. when you stop and think all the people here are steffs... well, it just sends a chill down a normal person's spine!
Still plotting around mid table. It's all but a foregone conclusion they'll be back in Ligue 2 next season.
There's only four points separating them from safety, so you never know. But I agree, it probably won't happen this season. They did make it to the final of the CDF, which is always impressive for a L2 side.
Happy for the CDL final and you're right about promotion, it'll be hard. They made too much hard work of it early in the year. They've been playing pretty well.
Match against likely relegated Tours on Friday. Win that and we might see a scenario where they get in there. I'll have to look to see what they have for run ins the rest of the season.