Stade Malherbe Caen facts for kids
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| Full name | Stade Malherbe Caen | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Malherbe | |||
| Short name | SMC | |||
| Founded | 17 November 1913 | |||
| Ground | Stade Michel d'Ornano | |||
| Capacity | 20,300 | |||
| Owner | Kylian Mbappé (80%) PAC-Invest (20%) |
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| President | Ziad Hammoud | |||
| Manager | Maxime d'Ornano | |||
| League | Ligue 2 | |||
| 2021–22 | Ligue 2, 7th of 20 | |||
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Stade Malherbe Caen, often called SM Caen or just Caen, is a professional football team from Caen, a city in Normandy, France. The club was started on November 17, 1913. It was formed when two local clubs, Club Malherbe Caennais and Club Sportif Caennais, joined together.
For many years, SM Caen was known as a strong amateur club in France. In the late 1980s, the team became professional. They were promoted to the top French league for the first time in 1988. In 1992, the club finished fifth in the top league. This earned them a spot in the 1992–93 UEFA Cup, a big European competition.
Recently, in September 2024, the famous French football star Kylian Mbappé became the main owner of the club. However, the 2024–25 season was tough for the team. On April 19, 2025, SM Caen was relegated from Ligue 2 to the Championnat National. This ended their 41-year run in the second tier of French football.
SM Caen plays its home games at the Stade Michel d'Ornano. This stadium was built in 1993. Before that, and still for their reserve team, they played at Stade de Venoix. The club has exciting local rivalries. Their biggest one is against Le Havre AC, often called "Le derby normand" (the Normandy derby).
Contents
Club History
How it All Started (Before 1913)
Football became popular in Caen in the late 1800s. Several clubs were formed, like the Union sportive des étudiants de Caen in 1892. Another important club was the Club Sportif Caennais, started in 1899.
In 1907, some former players from another club created the Club Malherbe Caennais. This club quickly became the best in the Lower Normandy area.
Early Years and First Professional Try (1913–1947)
Stade Malherbe Caennais was officially founded on November 17, 1913. It was a mix of the Club Sportif Caennais and Club Malherbe Caennais. The new club kept the "Malherbe" name and the striped jersey of CMC. They also used the red and blue colors from CSC. The club got its own stadium, the Stade de Venoix, from CMC.
In their very first year, Stade Malherbe won their first title. They won the league in Lower Normandy in 1914. However, World War I stopped many football competitions. Many club members were sadly lost during the war.
After the war, in 1919, new regional championships began. Stade Malherbe won the Lower Normandy championship six times between 1920 and 1928. They also started playing in the Coupe de France, a national cup competition.
In 1934, Stade Malherbe became a professional team. They joined the French Division 2. They played four professional seasons but faced money problems. Because of this, they returned to amateur status in 1938. The club won the Normandy championship just before World War II and then again in 1946 and 1947.
An Important Amateur Club (1948–1985)
In 1948, Stade Malherbe joined the new Championnat de France amateur, which was the third level of French football. They were known as a strong amateur team. They often had famous former French international players as coaches.
The club became well-known for its exciting wins in the Coupe de France during the 1950s. They managed to beat top teams like Stade de Reims and Racing Club de Paris. In 1956 and 1961, Caen won the "Challenge France-Football". This award recognized the best amateur team in the Coupe de France.
However, the club faced challenges with changing coaches and money issues. They were relegated twice in the 1960s but always managed to return to the top amateur league.
In 1970, the second division was made bigger. During the 1970s, Caen moved between the third and second divisions. In 1975, the club won its first national title. They won the West group of Division 3.
In 1983, Pierre Mankowski joined as a player-coach. He helped Stade Malherbe climb from the third division to the top of the second division. In 1985, the club officially became professional again.
From Second Division to European Football (1985–1993)
Since 1985, SM Caen has been a professional football club. Coach Mankowski's goal was to get Caen into the first division. The team improved a lot. In 1987, Caen finished second in Division 2. They won their playoff matches the next season. This meant they were promoted to Division 1 in 1988.
Even with many player changes, Caen managed to stay in Division 1. They continued to perform well in the following seasons.
In 1990–91, with a new coach, Daniel Jeandupeux, Caen finished in the top half of Division 1. This was thanks to their strong home games at Stade de Venoix. In 1991, the club faced money problems. But local businesses and the government helped them out. This led to a fantastic 1991–92 season. Stade Malherbe finished fifth, which was their best ever finish. This amazing result qualified them for the UEFA Cup for the first time.
In the 1992–93 UEFA Cup, Caen played against Real Zaragoza from Spain. Caen won the first game 3–2 at home. But they lost 2–0 in Spain and were knocked out.
Between Top Divisions (1993–2025)
In the 2003–04 season, Caen finished second in Ligue 2. This earned them promotion to Ligue 1. They were relegated back to Ligue 2 on the last day of the 2004–05 season. However, a big moment that season was reaching the final of the Coupe de la Ligue for the first time. They lost 2–1 to RC Strasbourg in the final.
On May 25, 2007, SM Caen won promotion to Ligue 1 again. They were relegated in the 2008–09 season but won the Ligue 2 championship the next season. This brought them back to Ligue 1.
In the 2010–11 season, Caen had a great start. They beat defending champions Olympique de Marseille away from home. Then they won against Olympique Lyonnais at home.
In the 2013–14 season, Caen was in Ligue 2. They earned promotion to Ligue 1 for the 2014–15 season. For the 2016–17 and 2017–18 seasons, Caen avoided relegation on the very last day. They secured draws against Paris Saint-Germain to stay up.
In the 2018–19 season, Caen was relegated on the final day after losing to Bordeaux. This ended their five-year stay in the top division.
In September 2024, French football star Kylian Mbappé became the majority owner of the club. In December 2024, Josselin Flamand was named the new Managing Director.
On April 19, 2025, Caen was relegated to Championnat National. This happened after a 0-3 home defeat to FC Martigues. This result ended their 41-year period in the second tier of French football.
Club Achievements
| National Competitions | Other Achievements |
|---|---|
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Club Colors and Crest
When the two clubs merged in 1913, they decided to combine their looks. Club Malherbe Caennais had black and white stripes. Club Sportif Caennais used blue and red stripes. The new Stade Malherbe team chose the vertical stripes from CMC and the red and blue colors from CSC.
For almost 50 years, Stade Malherbe used a diamond-shaped logo. This logo was created for their first professional period in 1934.
In 1989, a new logo was designed. It featured a longship sailing on waves. This was a nod to the Viking history of Normandy. It also included three arrows, which are symbols of the city of Caen. This logo was used in different versions for 18 seasons.
In 2007, a new logo was introduced. This design showed the club's strong connection to the Norman period of William the Conqueror. The flag of Normandy, with its two lions, is often seen in the stands at games.
In 2013, the official anthem of SM Caen was created. It's called "Normands, fiers et conquérants!" (Normans, proud and conquering!). The song clearly celebrates the Norman identity:
- "Representing Normandy is an honour,
- Backing our leopards, we sing our hearts out!
- Describing this beautiful region
- must be done together
- We are Normans, proud and conquerors!
- We wear the colours of SM Caen
- And we go singing to d'Ornano
- We are from the same family,
- All united at home,
- We are Normans, proud and conquerors!"
- SM Caen crests
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1913–1930
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1934–1988
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2013–2016
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Stadiums
The Stade de Venoix was the club's home from 1913 until 1993. At its busiest, Venoix could hold over 15,000 fans. Today, it has a capacity of 5,000 and is used by the reserve team.
In 1993, a new stadium was built. It was named Stade Michel d'Ornano and can hold 21,500 spectators. The new stadium is only about 500 meters away from the old Stade de Venoix.
Players
Current Squad
As of July 16, 2025.
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Club Legends: Most Games and Top Scorers
| Most Games Played | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Matches | (Top League) |
| Nicolas Seube | 477 | 232 |
| Anthony Deroin | 395 | 93 |
| Yvan Lebourgeois | 391 | 200 |
| Jimmy Hebert | 321 | 38 |
| Christophe Point | 301 | 172 |
| Top Goal Scorers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Goals | (Top League) |
| Cyrille Watier | 69 | 9 |
| Xavier Gravelaine | 45 | 26 |
| Fabrice Divert | 44 | 40 |
| Sébastien Mazure | 43 | 13 |
| Anthony Deroin | 38 | 9 |
| French National Team Players | |
|---|---|
| Name | Caps |
| Xavier Gravelaine | 3 (1992–93) |
| Fabrice Divert | 1 (1990) |
| Steve Savidan | 1 (2008) |
Coaching Staff
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Michel Der Zakarian |
| Assistant Manager |  David Bechkoura |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Eddy Costil |
| Fitness Coach | Jean-Marc Branger |
Coaching History
| Years | Coach |
|---|---|
| 1934–35 | François Konya |
| 1935–36 | Jean Gast |
| 1936–38 | Maurice Cottenet |
| 1938–44 | Jean Gast |
| 1944–46 | Karoly Mayer |
| 1946–47 | Armand Deruaz |
| 1947–49 | Charles Carville |
| 1949–52 | Jules Vandooren |
| 1952–53 | Jean Prouff |
| 1953–55 | Eugène Proust |
| 1955–58 | André Grillon |
| 1958–59 | Marcel Leperlier |
| 1959–61 | Louis Require |
| 1961–62 | Albert Eloy |
| 1962–64 | Marcel Mouchel |
| 1964–67 | Jean Vincent |
| Years | Coach |
|---|---|
| 1967–72 | Célestin Oliver |
| 1972–72 | Bernard Lelong |
| 1972 | Guy Lunel (interim) |
| 1972–73 | Émile Rummelhardt |
| 1973–79 | Jacques Mouilleron |
| 1979–83 | Alain Laurier |
| 1983–88 | Pierre Mankowski |
| 1988–89 | Robert Nouzaret |
| 1989–94 | Daniel Jeandupeux |
| 1994–96 | Pierre Mankowski |
| 1996–97 | Guy David |
| 1997 | Gabriel Calderon |
| 1997 | Daniel Jeandupeux (interim) |
| 1997–2000 | Pascal Théault |
| 2000 | Christophe Desbouillons (interim) |
| 2000–01 | Jean-Louis Gasset |
| Years | Coach |
|---|---|
| 2001–02 | Hervé Gauthier |
| 2002–05 | Patrick Remy |
| 2005 | Franck Dumas (interim) |
| 2005–09 | Franck Dumas & Patrick Parizon |
| 2009–12 | Franck Dumas & Patrice Garande |
| 2012–18 | Patrice Garande |
| 2018–19 | Fabien Mercadal |
| 2019 | Rui Almeida |
| 2019–21 | Pascal Dupraz |
| 2021 | Fabrice Vandeputte |
| 2021–23 | Stéphane Moulin |
| 2023 | Jean-Marc Furlan |
| 2023–24 | Nicolas Seube |
| 2024–25 | Bruno Baltazar |
| 2025–present | Michel Der Zakarian |
European Competitions
SM Caen has played in European competitions a few times. Their most notable appearance was in the 1992–93 UEFA Cup.
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Total Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | UEFA Intertoto Cup | Group stage |  Lyngby BK |
1–0 | 1–2 | 2nd | |
 RKC Waalwijk |
2–0 | 0–1 | |||||
 Schalke 04 |
1–1 | 1–1 | |||||
| 1992–93 | UEFA Cup | First Round |  Real Zaragoza |
3–2 | 0–2 | 3–4 |  |
See also
In Spanish: Stade Malherbe Caen para niños
