Stade Brestois 29 facts for kids
 |
||||
| Full name | Stade Brestois 29 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Les Pirates (The Pirates) Les Ti'Zefs |
|||
| Founded | 1903 (as Armoricaine de Brest) 26 June 1950 (as Stade brestois) 1982 (as Brest Armorique FC) |
|||
| Ground | Stade Francis-Le Blé | |||
| Capacity | 15,220 | |||
| President | Denis Le Saint | |||
| Manager | Éric Roy | |||
| League | Ligue 1 | |||
| 2021–22 | Ligue 1, 11th of 20 | |||
|
||||
Stade Brestois 29, often called Stade Brestois or just Brest, is a professional football club. It is based in Brest, a city in France. The club began in 1950. This happened when five smaller local clubs joined together. One of these older clubs was Armoricaine de Brest, which started way back in 1903.
Brest plays in Ligue 1, which is the top football league in France. They earned their spot in this top league during the 2018–19 season. In their early years, Brest quickly moved up through the regional football leagues. By 1958, they reached the French Amateur Championship, which was the third level of French football.
The club joined the Second Division in 1970. Then, in 1979, they finally made it to the First Division. Their best period was between 1981 and 1991. During these ten years, they played nine seasons in the top league. In 1991, the club faced financial problems and had to move down. They even went bankrupt a few months later.
Brest returned to the second division in 2004 and to Ligue 1 in 2010. In the 2023–24 season, Brest surprised everyone. They finished third in Ligue 1. This amazing result meant they qualified for the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League. It was the first time in the club's history they would play in a European competition! Denis Le Saint has been the chairman of Stade Brestois since May 10, 2016.
Contents
Club History: How Brest Began
There are different ideas about when the club truly started. The club itself says it began in 1950. This was when five local Catholic sports clubs, called "patronages," merged. However, Stade Brestois took over the old club Armoricaine de Brest. Armoricaine de Brest was founded in 1903. So, some people see Stade Brestois as a direct continuation of that older club.
Armoricaine de Brest: Early Years (1903–1950)
The sports part of the Saint Louis patronage started in 1903. It was named Armoricaine de Brest. Their motto was "Pen Huel," which means "Heads up" in the Breton language. Before World War I, many young people joined their activities. These included football, athletics, and gymnastics.
In 1922, Father Cozanet helped build a stadium. It was located where the Stade Francis-Le Blé is today. A stand at the stadium is still named "Pen Huel" after the old motto. Famous French players like Alexis Thépot, Robert Coat, and Jean Guéguen played for Armoricaine between the wars.
Armoricaine de Brest played in the Coupe de France many times. In 1926, they won the French patronage championship. They beat Saint-Jean-de-Luz 3-0 in the final. Goalkeeper Alexis Thépot was one of their best players. He even played for the French national team in 1927.
Stade Brestois: Rising Through Leagues (1950–1982)
In 1950, five Catholic clubs merged. This created Stade Brest. The goal was to become stronger than the main secular club in Brest, AS Brest. Jean Offret was the first president of Stade Brestois.
Stade Brestois quickly moved up in the leagues. They reached the regional honor division in 1952. By 1958, they made it to the French Amateur Championship (CFA). This meant they were at the same level as their rival, AS Brest. In 1970, Stade Brestois joined the Second Division.
In 1979, Stade Brestois was promoted to Division 1 for the first time. They finished last that year. But they went back up the very next season. With François Yvinec as the new president, the club stayed in Division 1 for several seasons.
Brest Armorique: Highs and Lows (1982–1991)
In 1983, President François Yvinec changed the club's name. It became FC Brest Armorique. This was to show its location better. The year 1986 was a big moment for the club. They started to spend a lot of money. They signed famous South American players. This helped them reach their highest-ever finish in Division 1, eighth place, in 1987.
However, problems started behind the scenes. The president and coach Raymond Kéruzoré had disagreements. The main sponsor also pulled out. Young players like Paul Le Guen, Vincent Guérin, and Patrick Colleter tried their best. But the club went down to Division 2 in 1988.
They returned to the top league a year later. They won a thrilling play-off against Racing Club de Strasbourg. This was a memorable moment for the club. Back in Division 1, Brest had talented young players. These included Corentin Martins, David Ginola, Roberto Cabañas, and future world champion Stéphane Guivarc'h. The team played well.
But in 1991, despite finishing 11th, the club had huge debts. They were forced to move down to the Second Division. In December of that year, the club completely fell apart. During their last match against Guingamp, angry fans ran onto the field. David Ginola had to ask them to calm down. The club's debts were huge, and they went bankrupt. The professional team was shut down. The players were released. The reserve team, which was in the third division, became the main team.
Amateur Years and Comeback (1991–2019)
In 1993, the club was promoted to the new National 1 league. In 1997, they moved down to the French Amateur Championship. They stayed there for three seasons. After ten years in amateur leagues, the club got its original name back in 1993. In 2000, they returned to the National Championship.
In 2004, with a young player named Franck Ribéry, Brest was promoted to Ligue 2. This is the second division of French football. They managed to stay in this league for several years. In the 2009–10 season, coached by Alex Dupont, Brest finished second. This earned them automatic promotion to Ligue 1. They won 2–0 against Tours on April 30, 2010. They also had a good run in the French Cup.
The club managed to stay in the top division in 2011 and 2012. But at the end of the 2012–13 season, they were relegated. They returned to Ligue 1 at the end of the 2018–19 Ligue 2 season. This was their first time back in six years.
New Heights: European Football (2019–Present)
In the 2019–20 Ligue 1 season, Brest finished 14th. In 2020–21 Ligue 1, they stayed safe from relegation on the very last day. From October 31 to December 4, 2021, Brest won six Ligue 1 games in a row. This was the club's longest winning streak ever in the top league. They finished the 2021–22 Ligue 1 season in 11th place. This was their best finish since the 1990–91 season.
On March 3, 2024, Brest beat Le Havre 1–0 at home. This extended their unbeaten run to thirteen matches. It broke the club's record from 1991. Their streak ended six days later with a 1–0 loss to Lens. On April 28, they won 5–4 against rivals Rennes. This win meant Brest would play in European football for the first time!
On the final day of the 2023–24 season, Brest finished third in the league. This was the club's best-ever season in the top division. They won 3–0 against Toulouse. This result, combined with another match, secured their direct qualification for the UEFA Champions League.
Brest's home stadium, Stade Francis-Le Blé, did not meet UEFA rules for Champions League matches. So, they had to play their home games at Guingamp's Stade de Roudourou. In their first European game on September 19, 2024, Brest won 2–1 against Austrian team Sturm Graz. On October 1, they had a historic 4–0 victory over Red Bull Salzburg. This was their first-ever European match outside of France.
Team Players
Current Squad
|
|
Players on Loan
|
|
Famous Players
Here are some well-known players who have played for Stade Brestois. They either played many games for the club or represented their country while playing for Brest. For a full list of Stade Brestois players, see Category:Stade Brestois 29 players.
José Luis Brown- Sergio Goycochea
- Jorge Higuaín
Júlio César
Gérard Buscher- Patrick Colleter
- David Ginola
- Vincent Guérin
- Stéphane Guivarc'h
- Bernard Lama
- Paul Le Guen
- Yvon Le Roux
- Corentin Martins
- Bernard Pardo
- Pascal Pierre
- Franck Ribéry
- Nolan Roux
Roberto Cabañas
Drago Vabec
Club Staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Éric Roy |
| Assistant Manager | Julien Lachuer |
| First-Team Coach |  Bruno Grougi |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Christophe Revel |
| Conditioning Coach | Yvan Bourgis |
| Sporting Director | Grégory Lorenzi |
| Team Coordinator | Matthieu Jézéquel |
| Doctor | Michel Kergastel |
| Physiotherapist | Gilles Baudouin Erwan Orlach Hugo Keriven |
| Scout | Thierry Bonalair |
| Head of Marketing | Pascal Robert |
| Marketing Staff | Jean-Luc Le Magueresse |
| Board Member | Daniel Le Roux Yvon Kermarec |
Team Coaches
- Francis Chopin (1950–62)
- Albert Toris (1962–63)
- Sarkis Garabedian (1963–76)
- Armand Fouillen (1) (1963–76)
- Ernest Rannou (1964–66)
- Alain de Martigny (1) (1976–82)
- Dušan Nenković (1982–84)
- Robert Dewilder (1984–86)
- Raymond Kéruzoré (1986–87)
- Bernard Maligorne (1987–89)
- Slavoljub Muslin (1989–91)
- Armand Fouillen (2) (1991–93)
- Yvon Le Roux (1991–93)
- Yves Todorov (1993–94)
- Pierre Garcia (1994–95)
- Denis Goavec (1995–97)
- Pascal Robert (1997–99)
- Alain de Martigny (2) (1999–02)
- Sylvain Matrisciano (2002–03)
- Albert Rust (July 2003 – Mar 2006)
- Thierry Goudet (March 2006 – Dec 2006)
- Pascal Janin (Jan 2007 – Oct 2008)
- Gérald Baticle (Nov 2008 – May 2009)
- Alex Dupont (1) (May 2009 – Apr 2012)
- Landry Chauvin (May 2012 – Apr 2013)
- Corentin Martins (interim) (April 2013 – May 2013)
- Alex Dupont (2) (June 2013 – May 2016)
- Jean-Marc Furlan (May 2016 – May 2019)
- Olivier Dall'Oglio (2019 – May 2021)
- Michel Der Zakarian (May 2021 – October 2022)
- Bruno Grougi (interim) (October 2022 – January 2023)
- Eric Roy (January 2023 – present)
Club Trophies
- Ligue 2
- Champions: 1980–81
- Coupe de France
- Quarter-finalist: (2) 1982–83, 2014–15
- Coupe Gambardella (Youth Cup)
- Winner: 1990
- Division d'Honneur (Bretagne) (Regional League)
- Champions: (4) 1966, 1972, 1977, 2005
- Cup of Brittany (Regional Cup)
- Winner: 1969
- Championnat de France des patronages (Catholic Football League)
- Winner: 1923
Club Performance Over the Years
This table shows how Stade Brestois 29 has performed in different leagues and cups since 1997.
| Season | Level | Div. | Pos. | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Points | Eur.Cup Entrance | French Cup | French League Cup | Av.Attendance |
| as Stade Brestois 29 | ||||||||||||||
| 1997–98 | 4 | CFA-D | 9. | 34 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 45 | 40 | 46 | --- | qual.stage | – | 530 |
| 1998–99 | 9. | 34 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 44 | 38 | 48 | qual.stage | – | ||||
| 1999–2000 | 1. | 34 | 20 | 9 | 5 | 50 | 31 | 69 | R. 1/32 | |||||
| 2000–01 | 3 | Championnat National | 6. | 38 | 19 | 6 | 13 | 64 | 48 | 63 | qual.stage | |||
| 2001–02 | 13. | 38 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 40 | 43 | 44 | qual.stage | |||||
| 2002–03 | 10. | 38 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 49 | 44 | 50 | qual.stage | |||||
| 2003–04 | 2. | 38 | 20 | 8 | 10 | 45 | 30 | 68 | R.1/8 | |||||
| 2004–05 | 2 | Ligue 2 | 9. | 38 | 13 | 16 | 9 | 38 | 34 | 55 | R.1/32 | R.1/16 | 7,340 | |
| 2005–06 | 17. | 38 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 34 | 48 | 42 | R.1/8 | qual.stage | 6,167 | |||
| 2006–07 | 14. | 38 | 10 | 15 | 13 | 40 | 40 | 45 | R.1/32 | qual.stage | 5,932 | |||
| 2007–08 | 7. | 38 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 38 | 38 | 57 | R.1/16 | R.1/32 | 5,739 | |||
| 2008–09 | 14. | 38 | 13 | 6 | 19 | 45 | 50 | 45 | R.1/16 | qual.stage | 6,334 | |||
| 2009–10 | 2. | 38 | 20 | 7 | 11 | 53 | 34 | 67 | R.1/8 | first round | 7,702 | |||
| 2010–11 | 1 | Ligue 1 | 16. | 38 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 36 | 43 | 46 | R.1/32 | third round | 13,549 | |
| 2011–12 | 15. | 38 | 8 | 17 | 13 | 31 | 38 | 41 | R.1/64 | third round | 13,597 | |||
| 2012–13 | 20. | 38 | 8 | 5 | 25 | 32 | 62 | 29 | R.1/16 | third round | 11,796 | |||
| 2013–14 | 2 | Ligue 2 | 7. | 38 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 38 | 32 | 56 | R.1/32 | third round | 7,609 | |
| 2014–15 | 6. | 38 | 14 | 15 | 9 | 41 | 27 | 57 | R.1/4 | first round | 7,557 | |||
| 2015–16 | 10. | 38 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 34 | 41 | 47 | qual. stage | first round | 6,887 | |||
| 2016–17 | 5. | 38 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 58 | 44 | 65 | R.1/64 | second round | 8,042 | |||
| 2017–18 | 38 | 18 | 11 | 9 | 58 | 43 | 65 | qual. stage | first round | 7,458 | ||||
| 2018–19 | 2. | 38 | 21 | 11 | 6 | 64 | 35 | 74 | R.1/64 | second round | 9,216 | |||
| 2019–20 | 1 | Ligue 1 | 14. | 28 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 34 | 37 | 34 | R.1/64 | R.1/4 | 13,699 (14 matches played) | |
| 2020–21 | 17. | 38 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 50 | 66 | 41 | R.1/16 | x | 4,496 (With 4 games played outside camera) | |||
| 2021–22 | 11. | 38 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 49 | 58 | 48 | R.1/8 | 11,710 | ||||
| 2022–23 | 14. | 38 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 44 | 54 | 44 | R.1/32 | 12,657 | ||||
| 2023–24 | 3. | 34 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 53 | 34 | 61 | R.1/16 | 14,574 | ||||
| 2024–25 | TBD | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 | UCL League Phase | TBD | TBD | |||
European Games Record
This table shows how Stade Brestois has performed in European competitions.
| Season | Competition | Round | Country | Opponent | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | UEFA Champions League | League phase |  |
Sturm Graz | 2–1 | N/A |
|
Red Bull Salzburg | N/A | 4–0 | |||
 |
Bayer Leverkusen | 1–1 | N/A | |||
 |
Sparta Prague | N/A | 2–1 | |||
 |
Barcelona | N/A | ||||
 |
PSV Eindhoven | N/A | ||||
 |
Shakhtar Donetsk | N/A | ||||
|
Real Madrid | N/A |
Club Partnerships
Since September 2011, Stade Brestois 29 has sponsored an amateur American football club. This club is called Stade Brestois New York and is located in New York City.
See also
In Spanish: Stade Brestois 29 para niños
