FC Lorient facts for kids
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| Full name | Football Club Lorient Bretagne Sud | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Les Merlus (The Merlucciidaes) Le FCL Les tangos et noirs (The dark orange and black) |
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| Founded | 2 April 1926 | ||
| Ground | Stade du Moustoir | ||
| Capacity | 18,110 | ||
| Owner | Loïc Féry (majority shareholder) Bill Foley (minority shareholder) |
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| President | Loïc Féry | ||
| Head coach | Olivier Pantaloni | ||
| League | Ligue 1 | ||
| 2021–22 | Ligue 1, 16th of 20 | ||
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Football Club Lorient Bretagne Sud, often called FC Lorient, is a professional football team from Lorient, France. The club started in 1926. They play their home games at the Stade du Moustoir. The team is currently managed by Olivier Pantaloni.
FC Lorient didn't have much national success until 1998. Before that, they were mostly an amateur club. Their biggest win was in 2002 when they won the Coupe de France (French Cup). They beat Bastia 1–0 in the final match. Lorient has never won the top French league, Ligue 1. However, they did win the Championnat National (third division) in 1995. They have also won several regional titles in Brittany.
Many famous players have started their careers at Lorient. These include Laurent Koscielny, André-Pierre Gignac, Kevin Gameiro, and Seydou Keita.
Contents
Club History: From Amateur to Pro
Football Club Lorient was founded on April 2, 1926. It grew out of an earlier club called La Marée Sportive. This club was started by Madame Cuissard and her son Joseph. In 1929, Lorient began playing as an amateur team. They won a regional championship, which moved them into the top division of the Brittany region. They won this league again in 1932 and 1936. World War II slowed down the club's progress. Many players left to join the war or play elsewhere.
Rebuilding and Becoming Professional
After the war, Antoine Cuissard, Madame Cuissard's grandson, joined the club. He wanted to rebuild it in his grandmother's honor. Lorient started playing in a lower division. Antoine Cuissard became one of the first Lorient players to also play for the French national team. In 1954, he played for France in the 1954 FIFA World Cup. By 1948, Lorient was playing in the Championnat de France amateur (CFA). They struggled financially. In 1967, Lorient became a professional club and joined Division 2.
Ups and Downs in the Leagues
In the 1970s, Lorient found it hard to stay in Division 2. They almost got promoted to Division 1 in 1975 and 1976, finishing third. But in 1977, they were relegated to Division 3. The club then faced money problems and went bankrupt in 1978. During this time, supporters kept the club alive under a new name.
In the early 1980s, Christian Gourcuff, a former Lorient player, became the manager. Under him, Lorient quickly moved back up the leagues. They won the Brittany Division d'Honneur in 1983. They also won Division 4 in 1984 and Division 3 in 1985. This brought them back to Division 2. Gourcuff left for a while, and the club faced more financial issues in 1990. But in 1991, Gourcuff returned. After almost ten years in Division 3, Lorient was promoted back to Division 2.
First Time in Ligue 1 and Cup Glory
In the 1997–98 season, Lorient surprised many by getting promoted to the top league, now called Division 1. The 1998–99 season was their first time in Division 1. However, they struggled with the higher costs and tougher competition. They finished 16th and were relegated. They had the same points as Le Havre, but Le Havre had a better goal difference.
After two seasons in Division 2, Lorient returned to Division 1 for the 2001–02 season. Before this, there were some changes in the club's ownership. This led to manager Christian Gourcuff leaving. The club hired Ángel Marcos as a new manager, but he only stayed for a few months.
Despite these changes, Lorient brought in new players like Pascal Delhommeau and Moussa Saïb. Led by manager Yvon Pouliquen, the team reached the final of the Coupe de la Ligue (League Cup) but lost to Bordeaux. Just two months later, Lorient won the Coupe de France! They beat Bastia 1–0 with a goal from Jean-Claude Darcheville. This was the club's first major trophy. However, they were also relegated from the league in the same season. The next season, they played in the UEFA Cup but were knocked out in the first round.
Recent Years and Promotions
Lorient returned to Ligue 1 in 2006. They focused on developing young players from their academy. Players like André-Pierre Gignac and Jérémy Morel joined the first team. They also signed Bakari Koné. Lorient finished in the middle of the table for three seasons. In the 2009–10 season, they had their best Ligue 1 finish ever, ending in 7th place.
In the 2016–17 season, Lorient lost a play-off match against Troyes and were relegated to Ligue 2. This ended their 11-year stay in the top league.
On April 30, 2020, Lorient was promoted back to Ligue 1. This happened because the French football league decided to end the season early due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Lorient was at the top of the Ligue 2 table at that time.
In the 2023–24 Ligue 1 season, Lorient was relegated to Ligue 2 again. They needed a big win on the final day to avoid it, and they did beat Clermont. However, because Metz had a better head-to-head record against Lorient, Lorient was sent down.
On May 10, 2025, Lorient won the Ligue 2 championship. This means they are returning to Ligue 1 for the upcoming season, just one year after being relegated.
Team Players
Current Squad
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Famous Former Players
You can find a full list of FC Lorient players with Wikipedia articles in Category:FC Lorient players.
Club Management and Staff
Club Officials
- Senior club staff
- President: Loïc Féry
- General Director: Arnaud Tanguy
- Sporting Director: Laurent Koscielny
- Sports coordinator: Aziz Mady Mogne
- Head coach: Olivier Pantaloni
- Assistant head coach: Gérald Baticle, Julien Outrebon, Ingo Goetze
- Goalkeeper coach: Olivier Lagarde, Ronald Thomas
- Scout: Stéphane Pédron, Baptiste Drouet, Jérôme Fougeron
- Club doctor: Vincent Detaille
- Medical Director Physiotherapy: Régis Bouyaux
Coaching History
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Club Achievements
National Trophies
- Ligue 2
- Champions: 2019–20, 2024–25
- Championnat National (Third Division)
- Champions: 1994–95
- Coupe de France (French Cup)
- Champions: 2001–02
- Coupe de la Ligue (League Cup)
- Runners-up: 2001–02
- Trophée des Champions (Super Cup)
- Runners-up: 2002
Regional Trophies
- Division d'Honneur (Brittany)
- Champions (5): 1932, 1936, 1957, 1983, 1995
- Coupe de Bretagne (Brittany Cup)
- Champions (6): 1958, 1970, 1982, 1990, 2000, 2002
European Football Matches
| Season | Competition | Round | Country | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
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| 2002–03 | UEFA Cup | First round |  |
Denizlispor | 3–1 | 0–2 | 3–3 (a) |
See also
In Spanish: Football Club Lorient para niños
