Boulogne
Full nameUnion Sportive de Boulogne-sur-Mer Côte d'Opale
Founded1898 (1898)
GroundStade de la Libération,
Boulogne-sur-Mer
Capacity9,534
PresidentVincent Boutillier
ManagerFabien Dagneaux and Anthony Lecointe[1]
LeagueNational 2 Group C
2022–23National 2 Group B, 9th
WebsiteClub website

Union Sportive de Boulogne-sur-Mer Côte d'Opale (commonly referred to as US Boulogne, USBCO or frequently, simply Boulogne) is a French association football club based in the commune of Boulogne-sur-Mer. The club was founded in 1898 and currently plays in Championnat National 2, the fourth level of French football, having been relegated from the Championnat National at the end of the 2021–22 season.

The club was formed in 1898 and its achievements are comparatively minor, with their biggest feat to date consisting of reaching the semi-finals during the 1936–37 edition of the Coupe de France, and one Ligue 1 season in 2009–10. Boulogne play their home matches at the Stade de la Libération, which seats 15,004 having previously seated only 7,000 prior to its renovation in 2007.

History

Early years

US Boulogne were originally founded in December 1898 by a group of young local athletes. While they mainly focused originally on athletic events, they created a football team to provide themselves with sporting competition in the winter months, and made a decent job in their first few years as a football club. Boulogne won the Maritime Championship three years running between 1904 and 1906. They next won the Championship in 1909 and their final victory of this division was in 1922. In 1924, Boulogne moved to the Northern Championship and fared well. The team also did well in the Coupe de France – reaching the quarter-finals in 1929 and the last 16 three times.

In 1926, Boulogne won the Northern League and only six years later, they decided to become a professional club. In 1935, under chairman Marcel Lacroix, the team joined the professional leagues. However, they played averagely in Division Two but there were a few bright sparks in the team. The Coupe de France 1937 competition saw Boulogne reach the semi-finals, but they were convincingly beaten by FC Sochaux 6–0. After the war, Boulogne, reverted to amateur status – and only decided to become a professional team again in 1957, when they were re-elected into Division Two. They stayed comfortably in Division Two for 22 years but then plummeted through the divisions – suffering consecutive relegations. The Coupe de France competition only provided little respite, as the team made the last 16 three times.

Robert Senechal arrived in 1983 and stabilised the club in Division Four. They missed out on promotion by a narrow margin in 1984 – but were finally promoted in 1991. However, it was short-lived and they were relegated the following season. In June 1994, it was announced that Boulogne were in serious debt – owing ₣3 million.

Muselet takeover and rise to Ligue 1

Manager Philippe Montanier was appointed in 2004, and took Boulogne from the fourth tier to Ligue 1 before leaving in 2009.

Mayor of Boulougne and billionaire Jean Muselet intervened to save the club and appointed Jacques Wattez as chairman. Under the leadership of Wattez, the club adopted a new official name – Union Sportive Boulogne Côte d'Opale – in July 1994. as a new company, the debts of the club were wiped and Boulogne – although still struggling in Division Four – reached the last sixteen of the Coupe de France again in 1997–98. They earned a home tie against Ligue 1 side Olympique de Marseille, losing 1–0. In the following edition of the cup, they reached the last 32 before losing 2–1 at home to Ligue 1 neighbours Lille OSC. On 17 March 1999, the club marked their centenary by hosting Liverpool – managed by Gérard Houllier of nearby Thérouanne – in a friendly and winning 2–1.[2]

In 2004, Boulogne hired Philippe Montanier in his first job in senior management.[3] He won promotion to the Championnat National in his first season,[4] and to Ligue 2 with a 2–1 victory over SC Toulon on 11 May 2007. Boulogne stayed up on the last day of the 2007–08 Ligue 2 season with a last-second win over Chamois Niortais F.C., who needed a draw to avoid the drop themselves.[5]

The 2008–09 season saw Boulogne win promotion on the final day of the season after beating SC Amiens 4–0, replacing RC Strasbourg in the final promotion place by a single point; striker Grégory Thil finished top scorer with 18 goals. Montanier left for Valenciennes FC and was replaced by Laurent Guyot, former academy director at FC Nantes.[6] They stayed just one season, being relegated in 19th place with 31 points; the first of their seven wins was in the second game on 16 August 2009, 2–1 at home to Grenoble Foot 38.[7] In the same season, the team reached the quarter-finals of the 2009–10 Coupe de France, losing 3–1 away to fourth-tier US Quevilly.[8]

Decline

Boulogne were relegated at the end of the 2011–12 Ligue 2 season, ending their five-year spell in the professional leagues.[9] The team reached the quarter-finals of the 2014–15 Coupe de France, losing on penalties to AS Saint-Étienne after a 1–1 home draw.[10]

In March 2020, Boulogne were third in Championnat National when the season was prematurely ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They were denied an opportunity for promotion when the FFF executive committee announced that the usual playoff between 18th in Ligue 2 and 3rd in Championnat National would not go ahead.[11] The team finished bottom of the 2021–22 Championnat National table, and were relegated to Championnat National 2 after 17 years in the top three divisions.[12] The team nearly suffered a second consecutive relegation in the 2022–23 Championnat National 2, surviving in 9th place after an improved second half of the season.[13]

Players

Current squad

Staff

  • Head coach: France Christophe Raymond
  • Assistant coach: France Cédric Blomme
  • Goalkeeping coach: France Hugo Stevenart
  • Fitness trainer: France Antoine Decaix

Notable players

Managers

References

  1. 1 2 Frémin, Cyril (8 February 2023). "Fabien Dagneaux et Anthony Lecointe à la tête de l'USBCO" [Fabien Dagneaux and Anthony Lecointe in charge of USBCO] (in French). Delta FM. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  2. ↑ Cadart, Philippe (14 December 2020). "Quand Gérard Houllier amenait Liverpool à la Libé... et que Boulogne gagnait!" [When Gérard Houllier brought Liverpool to the Libé... and Boulogne won!]. La Voix du Nord (in French). Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  3. ↑ "Football : découvrez qui est Philippe Montanier, le nouvel entraîneur du TFC" [Football: discover who is Philippe Montanier, the new manager of TFC]. La Dépêche du Midi (in French). 23 June 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "L1: l'entraîneur de Boulogne Philippe Montanier passe à Valenciennes" [L1: Boulogne manager Philippe Montanier goes to Valenciennes] (in French). RTL Info. 3 June 2009. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  5. ↑ "Football (rétro) : Boulogne-Niort de mai 2008 et la dernière seconde fatale" [Football (retro): Boulogne-Niort in May 2008 and the fatal last second]. La Nouvelle République du Centre-Ouest (in French). 1 May 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  6. ↑ Sadkaoui, Samy (22 July 2009). "Boulogne veut exister". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  7. ↑ Lesprit, Bruno (17 August 2009). "Boulogne-sur-Mer, petit poucet du championnat de France, remporte sa première victoire parmi l'élite" [Boulogne-sur-Mer, Tom Thumb of the French championship, achieve their first victory among the elite]. Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  8. ↑ "Coupe de France : Quevilly bat Boulogne et va en demi-finale" [Coupe de France: Quevilly beat Boulogne and go into the semi-finals]. Le Monde (in French). 23 March 2010. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  9. ↑ Fossurier, Yann (12 May 2012). "Boulogne relégué en National" [Boulogne relegated to National] (in French). France 3. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  10. ↑ Pasteau, Benoist (4 March 2015). "Saint-Etienne, premier qualifié pour le dernier carré" [Saint-Étienne, first qualified for the last four] (in French). Europe 1. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  11. ↑ "Le COMEX valide les montées de Pau et Dunkerque" [COMEX confirms Pau and Dunkerque's promotions] (in French). foot-national.com. 11 May 2020.
  12. ↑ "Boulogne officiellement relégué" [Boulogne officially relegated] (in French). delta FM. 6 May 2022.
  13. ↑ "Le maintien, du rêve à la réalité pour l'USBCO" [Survival, from dream to reality for USBCO]. La Semaine (in French). 2 June 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
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