AJ Auxerre

The historic Burgundy club, founded in 1905, returns to Ligue 1.

Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise, commonly known as AJ Auxerre or by the abbreviation AJA, is a French professional football club based in Auxerre, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France. The club currently competes in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps, on the banks of the Yonne River. The team is managed by Christophe Pélissier.

Quick Facts

Club: Auxerre
Full name: Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise
Nickname: Les Ajaïstes
Short name: AJ Auxerre, AJA
Founded: 29 December 1905
Stadium: Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps
Capacity: 18,541
Owner: James Zhou

Lore & Background

Auxerre was founded in 1905 by the abbot Ernest Abbé Deschamps. The club made its debut in the first division of French football in the 1980–81 season, remaining in the top flight until the 2011–12 season. The club has won the Ligue 1 title once, in the 1995–96 season. Two years prior, Auxerre achieved its first major honour by winning the Coupe de France in 1994 in a 3–0 victory over Montpellier. The club has since added three more Coupe de France titles. From 1961 to 2005, the club was predominantly coached by Guy Roux, including an uninterrupted period when Roux was in charge for 36 years between 1964 and 2000.

Reader's Guide

Auxerre has produced several notable players including Eric Cantona, Laurent Blanc, Stéphane Guivarc'h, Philippe Mexès, Basile Boli, and Djibril Cissé. Guivarc'h, Bernard Diomède and Lionel Charbonnier were world champions in 1998. The club's history includes a remarkable first season in Division 1 with a 3–2 win at Parc des Princes against Paris Saint-Germain on 13 December 1980. Auxerre won the Coupe de France in 1994 and again in 1996, and also won the Division 1 title in the 1995–96 season.