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Auxerre
AJAuxerreLogo.svg
Full name Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise
Short name AJ Auxerre, AJA
Founded 29 December 1905; 119 years ago (1905-12-29)
Ground Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps
Ground Capacity 18,541
Owner James Zhou
President Baptiste Malherbe
Manager Christophe Pélissier
League Ligue 2
2021–22 Ligue 2, 3rd of 20
Third colours

The Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise, often called AJ Auxerre or just AJA, is a professional football club from Auxerre, a town in Burgundy, France. The team plays in Ligue 1, which is the top football league in France. They earned their spot in Ligue 1 for the 2024–25 season by winning the Ligue 2 championship in 2023–24. Auxerre plays its home games at the Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps, located by the Yonne River. The current manager of the team is Christophe Pélissier.

Auxerre was started in 1905. They first joined the top French football division in the 1980–81 season. They stayed in the top league until the 2011–12 season. The club has won the Ligue 1 title once, in the 1995–96 season. Before that, in 1994, Auxerre won its first major trophy, the Coupe de France. They have won the Coupe de France three more times since then. This makes them one of the top five teams to have won this trophy the most times.

Many famous players have come from Auxerre. Some of the most well-known French football stars who started here include Eric Cantona, Laurent Blanc, Stéphane Guivarc'h, Philippe Mexès, Basile Boli, and Djibril Cissé. These players all went on to play for the French national team. Laurent Blanc was part of the teams that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000. Three players from Auxerre – Guivarc'h, Bernard Diomède, and Lionel Charbonnier – were even world champions in 1998. From 1961 to 2005, the club was mostly coached by Guy Roux. He was in charge for a very long time, 36 years straight, from 1964 to 2000.

Club History: Auxerre's Journey

Early Days and First Stadium

The football club Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise began in 1905. It was founded by a priest named Ernest Abbé Deschamps. The club quickly became strong in the Catholic league called F.G.S.P.F. In 1908, they even reached the F.G.S.P.F. French Championship final, but they lost that game 8–1. After the First World War, the club lost its playing field. Father Deschamps then bought land along the Yonne River. This land later became the famous Abbé Deschamps Stadium, where the team still plays today.

Reaching the Top League

Auxerre played its first game in Division 1 on July 24, 1980, against Bastia. They lost that match 2–0. A few months later, in November 1980, Andrzej Szarmach joined Auxerre. He scored his first goal for the team just two days later. Auxerre's first season in Division 1 had some amazing moments. They beat Paris Saint-Germain 3–2 in Paris. They also won 1–0 against Nantes, a team that hadn't lost a home game in five years! In the next two seasons, AJA finished 15th and 8th.

First European Adventures

In the 1983–84 season, AJA reached the top three for the first time, finishing third. Patrice Garande was the top scorer with 21 goals. That summer, Garande won a gold medal at the Olympics with the French team. Joël Bats and Jean-Marc Ferreri were also part of the French team that won UEFA Euro 1984.

Sadly, in 1984, a new player named Michel N'Gom died in a car accident. One of the stands at Abbé Deschamps Stadium is named after him to honor his memory. The 1984–1985 season was special because Auxerre played in a European competition for the first time, the UEFA Cup. They lost to Sporting Clube de Portugal in the first round. However, because Monaco won the French Cup, Auxerre qualified for the UEFA Cup again the next year.

Memorable European Matches

In 1985, Joël Bats left, and Bruno Martini became the new goalkeeper. In the UEFA Cup, Auxerre played against Milan. Auxerre won the first game 3–1. But they lost the return match 3–0 and were knocked out.

In the 1988–89 season, AJA finished fifth in the league. They also reached the semi-finals of the French Cup. This fifth-place finish meant they qualified for the UEFA Cup again. This time, they had a great run! They beat teams from Albania, Finland, and Greece. They finally lost in the quarter-finals to Fiorentina. In 1990, the team sold Basile Boli and brought in new players like Enzo Scifo. Auxerre finished third in the league that year.

Reaching the Semi-Finals and First Trophies

In 1991–92, Auxerre was knocked out of the UEFA Cup by Liverpool. The next year, they had an amazing journey in the UEFA Cup. They beat teams like Lokomotiv Plovdiv and Copenhagen. In the quarter-finals, they faced Ajax, who were the defending champions and had not lost in the European Cup for two years. Auxerre won the home game 4–2. Even though Ajax won the second game 1–0, Auxerre went through to the semi-finals! They played against Borussia Dortmund and lost the first game 2–0. Auxerre fought back in the second game, making the score even, but they lost in a penalty shootout.

Auxerre qualified for the UEFA Cup again after a scandal involving other teams. But this time, they were knocked out early by Tenerife. In 1994, Auxerre had a great season. They finished third in the league and won their first major trophy, the French Cup! They beat Montpellier 3–0 in the final. The next season, they finished fourth in the league and reached the quarter-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup, where they lost to Arsenal.

AJA-PSG CdF 2003 Joie auxerroise
Auxerre players and fans celebrate their 2003 Coupe de France final victory.

Double Winners and Recent Years

During the 1995–96 season, the club achieved something incredible: they won both the Division 1 title and the Coupe de France! This was a historic "double" for the team.

On May 13, 2012, Auxerre's 32-year stay in the top division ended when they were relegated after losing to Marseille. The next few seasons in Ligue 2 were tough. In the 2014–15 Ligue 2 season, they finished ninth in Ligue 2. They also reached the 2015 Coupe de France final but lost to Paris Saint-Germain.

In the 2020–21 Ligue 2 season, Auxerre had their best finish since being relegated, coming in 6th place. Finally, in the 2021–22 Ligue 2 season, AJA earned promotion back to Ligue 1 after ten years! They won a penalty shootout against Saint-Etienne in the play-offs.

However, after just one season, Auxerre was relegated back to Ligue 2 in 2023. But they didn't stay down for long! On May 11, 2024, Auxerre secured promotion back to Ligue 1 for the 2024–25 season. They became champions of Ligue 2 after a 1-1 draw against Amiens.

Team Players: Who Plays for Auxerre?

Current Squad

Here are the players currently on the AJ Auxerre team:

No. Position Player
3 Nigeria DF Gabriel Osho
4 Brazil DF Jubal (captain)
8 France MF Nathan Buayi-Kiala
9 Canada FW Theo Bair
10 France FW Gaëtan Perrin
11 Netherlands FW Eros Maddy
12 Norway DF Fredrik Oppegård
14 Ghana DF Gideon Mensah
16 French Guiana GK Donovan Léon
17 Mali FW Lassine Sinayoko
18 Senegal MF Assane Dioussé
19 France FW Florian Ayé
20 Ivory Coast DF Sinaly Diomandé
No. Position Player
21 Ivory Coast MF Lasso Coulibaly
23 Netherlands DF Ki-Jana Hoever (on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers)
24 France DF Ange-Loïc N'Gatta
25 Ivory Coast MF Hamed Traorè (on loan from Bournemouth)
26 France DF Paul Joly
27 France MF Kévin Danois
30 France GK Tom Negrel
37 France GK Raphaël Adicéam
40 France GK Théo De Percin
42 Ghana MF Elisha Owusu
45 Japan FW Ado Onaiwu
80 France MF Han-Noah Massengo (on loan from Burnley)
92 Ivory Coast DF Clément Akpa

Players on Loan

These players are currently playing for other teams on a temporary basis:

No. Position Player
Morocco DF Saad Agouzoul (at Radomiak Radom until 30 June 2025)

Famous Players from Auxerre

The club's fans voted for their favorite historic players. Here are some of the most famous footballers who have played for Auxerre:

Club Management: Who Runs the Team?

  • Owner: James Zhou
  • President: Yunjie Zhou
  • Director of Youth: Gao Linfang
  • Director of Football: Li Guoqing
  • Manager: Christophe Pélissier
  • Assistant manager: Loïc Lemaitre
  • Goalkeeper coach: Younès Houcine
  • Fitness coach: Philippe Duchamp, Moussa Ouédraogo
  • Video analyst: Gauthier Pascal
  • Scout: Aymeric Moulin, François Vivant
  • Physiotherapist: Jérémy Cobault
  • Team Organiser: Romain Favre

Coaching History

Here is a list of the coaches who have managed Auxerre over the years:

Dates Name Notes
1946–47 France Pierre Grosjean Auxerre's first official coach.
1947–48 France Jean Pastel
1948–50 France Jacques Boulard
Bruneau
1950–52 France Georges Hatz
1952–53 France Marc Olivier
1953–55 France M. Pignault
1955–56 France Pierre Meunier
1956–58 France Jacques Boulard First manager to manage the club twice.
1958–59 Joseph Holmann First manager from outside France to coach the team.
1959–61 Christian Di Orio
1961–62 France Guy Roux
1962–64 Jean-Claude Gagneux
Jacques Chevallier
1964–00 France Guy Roux Led the club to its first league and Coupe de France title.
2000–01 Daniel Rolland
2000–05 France Guy Roux First manager to serve three stints at the club. Won
two Coupe de France titles.
2001–02 France Alain Fiard Served in interim role due to Roux taking a leave of
absence due to coronary artery bypass surgery.
2005–06 France Jacques Santini
2006–11 France Jean Fernandez
2011–12 France Laurent Fournier
2012 France Jean-Guy Wallemme
2012–14 France Bernard Casoni
2014–16 France Jean-Luc Vannuchi
2016 Romania Viorel Moldovan
2016–2017 France Cédric Daury
2017 France Francis Gillot
2018-2019 Uruguay Pablo Correa
2019 France Cédric Daury Interim until end of 2018–19 season.
2019–2022 France Jean-Marc Furlan
2022– France Christophe Pélissier

Club Honours: Auxerre's Trophies

Domestic Titles

League Championships

  • Ligue 1
    • Champions: 1995–96
  • Ligue 2
    • Winners: 1979–80, 2023–24
  • Division d'Honneur (Burgundy)
    • Winners: 1970
  • FGSPF Championnat
    • Runners-up: 1909
  • FGSPF Burgundy Championnat
    • Champions: 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914

Cup Wins

  • Coupe de France
    • Winners: 1993–94, 1995–96, 2002–03, 2004–05
    • Runners-up: 1978–79, 2014–15

International Competitions

  • UEFA Intertoto Cup
    • Winners: 1997, 2006 (joint winner)
    • Runners-up: 2000
  • Coppa delle Alpi
    • Champions: 1985, 1987

Season Statistics: How Auxerre Performed

Here's a look at Auxerre's performance in recent seasons, including their league position and cup results.

Season Pos. Cup League Cup Europe Other Comp. Notes
1990–91 1D 3rd
1991–92 1D 4th UC 2nd round
1992–93 1D 6th UC Semi-final
1993–94 1D 3rd Winner UC 2nd round
1994–95 1D 4th Last 16
1995–96 1D 1st Winner Quarter-final UC 2nd round
1996–97 1D 6th Last 16 UCL Quarter-final TDC
1997–98 1D 7th Semi-final UC Quarter-final Intertoto
1998–99 1D 14th Quarter-final Intertoto
1999–2000 1D 8th
2000–01 1D 13th Quarter-final Quarter-final Intertoto
2001–02 1D 3rd Last 32 Quarter-final
2002–03 1D 6th Winner Last 16 UCL Group stage
2003–04 1D 4th Quarter-final Semi-final UC 4th round TDC
2004–05 1D 8th Winner Quarter-final UC Quarter-final
2005–06 1D 6th Quarter-final UC 1st round TDC
2006–07 1D 8th Quarter-final UC Group stage Intertoto
2007–08 1D 15th Last 16 Semi-final
2008–09 1D 8th Last 32 Quarter-final
2009–10 1D 3rd Quarter-final Quarter-final
2010–11 1D 9th Last 32 Semi-final UCL Group stage
2011–12 1D 20th Last 16 Semi-final
2012–13 2D 9th 7th round Quarter-final
2013–14 2D 16th Quarter-final Quarter-final
2014–15 2D 9th Runner-up 3rd round
2015–16 2D 8th Last 16
2016–17 2D 17th Quarter-final Last 16
2017–18 2D 11th Quarter-final 1st round
2018–19 2D 15th Last 16 1st round
2019–20 2D 11th 8th round 1st round
2020–21 2D 6th Last 32 discontinued
2021–22 2D 3rd Last 32
2022–23 1D 17th 16th Round
2023–24 2D 1st Round of 64
2024–25 1D TBD TBD

Color Key:

Gold Winner (First Place)
Silver Runners-Up (Second Place)
Bronze 3rd Place (or Semi-finalist)
Relegated Moved down to a lower division

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise para niños

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