ES Troyes AC

Did You Know?

• Stade de l'Aube was built in 1956 and holds 20,400 people.
• In June 2013, Stade de l'Aube became the first stadium to install an AirFibr hybrid turf pitch.

History

The first football club in Troyes was created in 1900 as Union Sportive Troyenne (UST). In 1931, it merged with AS Savinienne to form Association Sportive Troyenne et Savinienne (ASTS), which turned professional in 1935 and entered Ligue 2. Under manager Roger Courtois (1952–1963), the club reached the Première Division in 1954–55. That era included a Coupe de France final in 1956, lost 3–1 to Sedan, while the youth team won the Coupe Gambardella the same day. The club was relegated from the top flight that year, returned in 1960 for one season, and left professional football after finishing 17th in 1962–63. It continued at regional level under former player Jacques Diebold for four seasons before dissolving.

A new club, Troyes Omnisports, formed in 1967 at regional level. It renamed itself Troyes Aube Football (TAF) in 1970, regained professional status, and entered the Third Division. After one season it was promoted to the Second Division, where under Pierre Flamion it finished second in 1972 but failed to win promotion. In 1973 it finished first in its group and lost the champions final to Lens. The club then spent five consecutive seasons in Ligue 1 from 1973 to 1978, its longest top-flight run, though it struggled against relegation each year. Its best finish was 15th in 1976–77. Notable players included striker Gérard Tonnel, right-back René Le Lamer, keeper Guy Formici, and Yugoslav winger Ilija Petković. The club was relegated in 1978 after finishing 19th.