kids encyclopedia robot

AS Monaco FC facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
AS Monaco
LogoASMonacoFC2021.svg
Full name Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club
Nickname(s) Les Rouge et Blanc (The Red and Whites)
Les Monégasques (The Monégasques)
Le Rocher (The Rock)
Short name AS Monaco, ASM
Founded 23 August 1924; 100 years ago (1924-08-23)
Stadium Stade Louis II
Stadium
capacity
16,360
Owners Monaco Sport Investment Ltd (66.67%)
House of Grimaldi (33.33%)
President Dmitry Rybolovlev
Head coach Adi Hütter
League Ligue 1
2021–22 Ligue 1, 3rd of 20

AS Monaco is a professional football club from Monaco. They are based in Fontvieille. Even though they are from Monaco, they play in France's top football league, Ligue 1. They are part of the French Football Federation. The club was started in 1918. They play their home games at the Stade Louis II. Their training center is in la Turbie, France, which is nearby.

AS Monaco is one of the most successful clubs in French football. They have won eight league titles and five Coupe de France trophies. They also won one Coupe de la Ligue. The club has played in European football many times. They were runners-up in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1992. They also reached the final of the UEFA Champions League in 2004.

The team's traditional colors are red and white. This is why they are called Les Rouge et Blanc, which means "The Red and Whites". AS Monaco is a member of the European Club Association. In 2011, a large part of the club was sold. It was bought by an investment group led by Dmitry Rybolovlev, a billionaire from Russia. With his support, the club quickly returned to Ligue 1. They won the league title in 2017, which was their first in 17 years.

Why AS Monaco Plays in France

Monaco is a small country in Europe. Unlike other small European countries, Monaco does not have its own football league. It also has never joined UEFA or FIFA as a separate football nation. Because of this, AS Monaco plays in the French league system.

AS Monaco is a full member of the French league. This means they can represent France in European competitions. There are other football clubs in Europe that play in leagues of different countries. However, AS Monaco is special because it represents a country that is not a member of international football organizations. For example, FC Vaduz from Liechtenstein plays in Switzerland. But Liechtenstein clubs have their own domestic cup to qualify for European games.

Club History: From Early Days to Today

How AS Monaco Started

AS Monaco FC was formed on August 1, 1920. It was created by combining several local clubs from France and Monaco. On August 23, 1924, a larger sports club called Association Sportive de Monaco was founded. AS Monaco FC then became the football part of this bigger club.

In its early years, Monaco played in amateur leagues. These were regional divisions in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur area of France. They quickly moved up through the leagues in the 1920s. In 1929, they moved to a new stadium called Stade des Moneghetti. This stadium was in Beausoleil, Alpes-Maritimes, France, right next to the border with Monaco. It was their first official home stadium until 1939.

In 1933, the French Football Federation invited Monaco to become a professional club. Their first year in the second division in 1933–34 was tough. They were sent back to the amateur leagues the next year. In 1939, the club moved to the Stade Louis II.

By 1948, Monaco became a professional club again. They returned to the French second division. They consistently finished near the top of the league. This led to them being promoted to the first division for the first time in 1953.

Winning Trophies: 1960 to 1986

Lucien Leduc
Lucien Leduc helped Monaco win three league titles and two domestic cups.

In 1960, Monaco's coach, Lucien Leduc, led the club to its first professional trophy. They won the Coupe de France by beating AS Saint-Étienne 4–2 in extra time. The next year, they did even better. They won the French Championship for the first time. This allowed them to play in the European Cup.

Leduc then guided the club to win both the League and the Cup in 1963. After Leduc left in 1963, Monaco had a quiet period. They stayed in the middle of the league for about ten years. They also moved between the first and second divisions after 1963.

In 1975, Jean-Louis Campora became the club's chairman. He was the son of a former president. In his second season, he brought Leduc back. Leduc immediately helped the club get promoted to the first division. They then won the championship the next year in 1978. Leduc left the club again in 1979. Other coaches tried to help, but the club's performance declined.

The early 1980s saw more success in national competitions. Monaco won a title almost every other year. They won the Coupe de France in 1980 and 1985. They won the French Championship in 1982. They were also finalists in the Coupe de France in 1984. In the 1985–86 season, Monaco had a huge win. They beat Bordeaux 9–0, which was one of their biggest wins ever.

However, Monaco could not achieve similar success in Europe. Up to this point, they had never gone past the first round of any European competition.

The Wenger and Tigana Years: 1990s

Arsène Wenger 2008
Arsène Wenger led Monaco to the 1987–88 league title.

In 1986, Ștefan Kovács, a famous coach, managed Monaco. But even he could not bring them success. The club then hired Arsène Wenger, who was not very well known at the time. Wenger's time at Monaco was very successful. He signed great players like George Weah, Glenn Hoddle, Jürgen Klinsmann, and Youri Djorkaeff. The youth team also produced future World Cup winners like Emmanuel Petit, Lilian Thuram, and Thierry Henry.

Under Wenger, Monaco won the league in his first season in 1988. They also won the Coupe de France in 1991. The club often reached the later stages of the European Cup. They also regularly challenged for the league title. Wenger left the club in 1994.

After Wenger, the club won two more league championships. They won under Jean Tigana in 1997 and under Claude Puel in 2000. However, as the 1990s ended, there were rumors that the club was having financial problems. In 2003, these problems became very serious. Even though they finished second in the league, the French Professional League sent them down to Ligue 2. This was because they had a large debt. This forced President Jean-Louis Campora to step down after 28 years.

The next season, the team did very well on the field despite their money troubles. The team was coached by Didier Deschamps. They had strong players like Fernando Morientes, Ludovic Giuly, and Jérôme Rothen. They finished third in Ligue 1. They also had an amazing run to the final of the UEFA Champions League. They beat strong teams like Real Madrid and Chelsea along the way. But even with this success, the 2003–04 season was the club's worst financially.

Relegation and New Ownership

Dmitry Rybolovlev in 2012
Dmitry Rybolovlev bought the club in 2011. He has helped them become one of the biggest spenders in football.

After Deschamps left, Francesco Guidolin became coach. The club tried to keep its best players, but many left. Their replacements could not achieve the same success. Guidolin lasted only one year. After several more coaching changes and mid-table finishes, the club's president, Michel Pastor, left in 2008.

In 2008, Jérôme de Bontin took over. He brought in new players, but the team did not do well. De Bontin resigned in 2009. Guy Lacombe became coach in 2009. He led Monaco to eighth place in Ligue 1 in his first season. But in his second season, the team struggled. He was fired in January 2011. Monaco finished the 2010–11 season in 18th place. This meant they were relegated to Ligue 2.

In December 2011, a large part of the club (66.67%) was sold. It was bought by Dmitry Rybolovlev, a Russian billionaire. At this time, the club was at the bottom of Ligue 2. The coach was fired, and Marco Simone took over. He improved the team's position. But the club wanted promotion, so they hired Claudio Ranieri. Ranieri's attacking style helped the team score many goals. Monaco lost only four times in the 2012–13 season. They finished as champions and were promoted back to Ligue 1.

Using Rybolovlev's money, Monaco spent a lot on new players in 2013. They spent about £140 million. This included a club record £50 million for Radamel Falcao and £40 million for James Rodríguez. Monaco finished in 2nd place in Ligue 1 in the 2013–14 season. Ranieri was replaced by Leonardo Jardim. The next season, Monaco sold some expensive players like James Rodriguez and loaned out Falcao. Despite this, Monaco finished 3rd in Ligue 1. They also reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League. They beat Arsenal before losing to Juventus.

Ligue 1 Champions and Recent Years (2016–Present)

Leonardo Jardim sous les couleurs de l'AS Monaco en 2017
Leonardo Jardim led Monaco to win the Ligue 1 title in 2016–17.
Stadion von Monaco Seitenansicht
The famous nine arches of the Stade Louis II.

Monaco won the Ligue 1 title on May 17, 2017. They beat AS Saint-Étienne 2–0. Radamel Falcao scored 30 goals and Kylian Mbappé scored 26 goals. This helped them win their first Ligue 1 title in 17 years. Monaco did not lose any of their last 20 games that season, winning 18 of them.

In the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League, Monaco made a great comeback. They lost the first game to Manchester City 5–3. But they won the second game 3–1 at home, winning on away goals. Monaco then beat Borussia Dortmund before losing to Juventus.

In the summer of 2017, Kylian Mbappé went to rivals PSG. He was loaned with an agreement to buy him for €180 million. This was the second-highest transfer fee in history at the time. Teammates Bernardo Silva and Benjamin Mendy were sold to Manchester City. Tiémoué Bakayoko was sold to Chelsea. Monaco still managed to finish 2nd in the 2017–18 Ligue 1, behind PSG. In 2018, Fabinho was sold to Liverpool.

Thierry Henry became coach in October 2018 after a bad start to the season. Henry was suspended in January, and Jardim returned days later. Monaco finished 17th that season, just avoiding relegation. In December 2019, Jardim was fired again. Former Spain manager Robert Moreno was appointed.

In 2019–20, the COVID-19 pandemic stopped the football season early. Monaco finished 9th. Moreno was sacked in July. He was replaced by former Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovač. Kovač led the team to third place the next season. Kovač left in early 2022. Philippe Clement took over. During Clement's time, the club did not reach the Champions League group stages. They played in the Europa League instead. In his last season, they finished 6th and did not qualify for European football.

On July 4, 2023, Monaco hired Adi Hütter as coach. He signed a two-year deal. In his first season, he guided the club to a second-place finish in the 2023–24 season. This meant they qualified for the Champions League group stage for the first time since 2018–19.

Home Stadium: Stade Louis II

Monaco has played at the Stade Louis II since 1939. In 1985, a new stadium was built nearby. This new stadium is also called the Stade Louis II. It was built on land that was created from the Mediterranean Sea. The stadium is named after Prince Louis II. It can hold 16,360 fans. The Stade Louis II is famous for its nine arches. It has hosted many sports events and European Cup finals. From 1998 to 2012, it hosted the annual UEFA Super Cup every August.

Youth Academy

Current Players

Main Squad

No. Position Player
1 Poland GK Radosław Majecki
2 Brazil DF Vanderson
3 England DF Eric Dier
4 Netherlands DF Jordan Teze
5 Germany DF Thilo Kehrer (vice-captain)
6 Switzerland MF Denis Zakaria (captain)
7 Morocco MF Eliesse Ben Seghir
8 France MF Paul Pogba
9 United States FW Folarin Balogun
10 Russia MF Aleksandr Golovin (3rd captain)
11 France MF Maghnes Akliouche
12 Brazil DF Caio Henrique
13 France DF Christian Mawissa
14 Denmark FW Mika Biereth
No. Position Player
15 Senegal MF Lamine Camara
16 Switzerland GK Philipp Köhn
17 Ivory Coast DF Wilfried Singo
18 Japan FW Takumi Minamino
20 France DF Kassoum Ouattara
21 Nigeria FW George Ilenikhena
22 Ghana DF Mohammed Salisu
27 Senegal FW Krépin Diatta
28 France MF Mamadou Coulibaly
31 Spain FW Ansu Fati (on loan from Barcelona)
36 Switzerland FW Breel Embolo
37 France MF Edan Diop
50 France GK Yann Liénard
88 France DF Soungoutou Magassa

Players on Loan

No. Position Player
Algeria DF Nazim Babaï (at Villefranche until 30 June 2025)
Senegal DF Ismail Jakobs (at Galatasaray until 30 June 2025)
Netherlands FW Myron Boadu (at Bochum until 30 June 2025)
France MF Ritchy Valme (at Annecy until 30 June 2025)
No. Position Player
Germany FW Paris Brunner (at Cercle Brugge until 30 June 2025)
France FW Malamine Efekele (at Cercle Brugge until 30 June 2025)
France FW Joan Tincres (at Amiens until 30 June 2025)

Monaco B and Youth Teams

No. Position Player
40 France GK Jules Stawiecki
41 France MF Lucas Michal
42 France MF Saïmon Bouabré
No. Position Player
44 Belgium DF Samuel Nibombe
46 France DF Bradel Kiwa
47 France MF Mayssam Benama

Club Leaders

Club Presidents Through the Years

Name Period
1948–1951 Monaco Étienne Boéri
1952–1953 Monaco Roger-Félix Médecin
1954 Monaco Joseph Fissore
1955 Monaco Charles Campora
1956–1957 Monaco Roger-Félix Médecin
1958–1959 Monaco Charles Campora
1960–1963 Monaco Antoine Romagnan
1964–1968 Monaco Max Principale
1969 Monaco Edmond Aubert
1970–1972 Monaco Henry Rey
1973–1974 Monaco Henri Orengo
1975 Monaco Henri Corvetto
1976–2003 Monaco Jean-Louis Campora
2003–2004 Monaco Pierre Svara
2004–2008 Monaco Michel Pastor
2008–2009 France Jérôme de Bontin
2009–2011 Monaco Étienne Franzi
2011– Russia Dmitry Rybolovlev

Coaching History

Period Name
1948–1950 France Jean Batmale
1950–1952 Romania Elek Schwartz
1952–1953 Italy Angelo Grizzetti
1953–1956 Czechoslovakia Ludvík Dupal
1956–1957 Austria Anton Marek
1958 France Louis Pirroni
1958–1963 France Lucien Leduc
1963–1965 France Roger Courtois
1965–1966 France Louis Pirroni
1966–1969 France Pierre Sinibaldi
1969–1970 France Louis Pirroni / France Robert Domergue
1970–1972 France Jean Luciano
1972–1974 Argentina Ruben Bravo
1974–1975 Argentina Alberto Muro
1976–1977 Monaco Armand Forchério
1977–1979 France Lucien Leduc
1979–1983 France Gérard Banide
1983–1986 France Lucien Muller
1986–1987 Romania Ștefan Kovács
1987–1994 France Arsène Wenger
1994 France Jean Petit
1994–1995 France Jean-Luc Ettori
1995 France Gérard Banide
1995–1999 France Jean Tigana
1999–2001 France Claude Puel
2001–2005 France Didier Deschamps
2005 France Jean Petit
2005–2006 Italy Francesco Guidolin
2006 Romania László Bölöni
2006–2007 France Laurent Banide
2007–2009 Brazil Ricardo Gomes
2009–2011 France Guy Lacombe
2011 France Laurent Banide
2011–2012 Italy Marco Simone
2012–2014 Italy Claudio Ranieri
2014–2018 Portugal Leonardo Jardim
2018–2019 France Thierry Henry
2019 Portugal Leonardo Jardim
2019–2020 Spain Robert Moreno
2020–2022 Croatia Niko Kovač
2022 France Stéphane Nado (caretaker)
2022–2023 Belgium Philippe Clement
2023– Austria Adi Hütter

Club Achievements

Teresa herrera trophy in lisbon
AS Monaco won the Teresa Herrera Trophy in 1963.

Domestic Trophies

  • Ligue 1
    • Winners (8): 1960–61, 1962–63, 1977–78, 1981–82, 1987–88, 1996–97, 1999–2000, 2016–17
    • Runners-up (8): 1963–64, 1983–84, 1990–91, 1991–92, 2002–03, 2013–14, 2017–18, 2023–24
  • Ligue 2
    • Winners: 2012–13
    • Runners-up (3): 1952–53, 1970–71, 1976–77
  • Championnat de France Amateur
    • Winners (3): 1963–64, 1970–71, 2007–08
  • Coupe de France
    • Winners (5): 1959–60, 1962–63, 1979–80, 1984–85, 1990–91
    • Runners-up (5): 1973–74, 1983–84, 1988–89, 2009–10, 2020–21
  • Coupe de la Ligue
    • Winners: 2002–03
    • Runners-up (3): 2000–01, 2016–17, 2017–18
  • Trophée des Champions
    • Winners (4): 1961, 1985, 1997, 2000
    • Runners-up (4): 1960, 2017, 2018, 2024
  • Coupe Charles Drago
    • Winners: 1961

European Competitions

Pre-Season Tournaments

UEFA Club Ranking

Rank Team Points
63 Turkey Galatasaray 25.500
64 Austria LASK 25.000
65 Monaco Monaco 24.000
66 Denmark Midtjylland 23.500
67 Germany Union Berlin 23.000

Player Records

Bold means players who are still at the club.

Onnisgimnasia1970
Delio Onnis scored a club record 223 goals for Monaco.

Most Appearances

These are for competitive, professional matches only.

# Name Years Matches
1 France Jean-Luc Ettori 1975–1994 755
2 France Claude Puel 1979–1996 602
3 France Jean Petit 1969–1982 428
4 France Manuel Amoros 1980–1989 349
5 France Christian Dalger 1971–1980 334
6 France Marcel Dib 1985–1993 326
7 France François Ludo 1953–1962 319
8 France Luc Sonor 1986–1995 315
9 France Michel Hidalgo 1957–1966 304
10 Monaco Armand Forchério 1961–1972 303

Top Goalscorers

These are for competitive, professional matches only.

# Name Years Goals
1 Argentina Italy Delio Onnis 1973–1980 223
2 France Wissam Ben Yedder 2019–2024 118
3 France Lucien Cossou 1959–1965 115
4 France Christian Dalger 1971–1980 89
5 Colombia Radamel Falcao 2013–2019 83
6 France Jean Petit 1969–1982 78
7 Nigeria Victor Ikpeba 1993–1999 77
8 France Yvon Douis 1961–1967 74
9 France Youri Djorkaeff 1990–1995 68
10 Brazil Sonny Anderson 1994–1997 67
Democratic Republic of the Congo Shabani Nonda 2000–2005

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Association Sportive Monaco Football Club para niños

kids search engine
AS Monaco FC Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.