Toulouse FC

History

Toulouse found itself without a top-division club in 1967, when the original Toulouse FC sold its players and its spot in the French top flight to Parisian side Red Star. A new club, Union Sportive Toulouse, rose from the ashes three years later, wearing red and yellow and beginning in Ligue 2. In 1979, it took back the name Toulouse FC, now in purple and white, and reached the top division in 1982. That squad, which included Jacques Santini and Swiss forward Daniel Jeandupeux, beat Diego Maradona's Napoli on penalties in the 1986–87 UEFA Cup—the club's first European campaign.

After goalkeeper Fabien Barthez broke through and left, Toulouse went down in 1994. They then bounced between Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, dropping to the third tier in 2001 because of financial trouble. Two seasons later they were back in the top flight, and in 2007 a third-place finish earned them a spot in the 2007–08 Champions League third qualifying round, where Liverpool thrashed them 5–0 on aggregate. In 2008–09, Toulouse ended fourth in Ligue 1 with 64 points, qualifying for the new Europa League, while André-Pierre Gignac led the league in scoring with 24 goals and earned a France call-up.

During the 2015–16 season, they avoided relegation on the final day by scoring twice late to beat Angers 3–2. Two years later, they finished 18th and won the promotion/relegation playoff 4–0 on aggregate against AC Ajaccio. On 6 January 2020, manager Antoine Kombouaré was sacked after a 1–0 Coupe de France loss to fourth-tier side Saint-Pryvé Saint-Hilaire; the club had lost ten straight matches under him. Denis Zanko took over.

On 30 April 2020, the LFP ended the season early due to the coronavirus pandemic, sending Toulouse down to Ligue 2. On 21 July 2020, RedBird Capital Partners bought an 85% stake in the club. Toulouse won Ligue 2 in 2022 to return to the top flight. On 29 April 2023, they lifted their first Coupe de France trophy, beating Kombouaré's Nantes 5–1 in the final—the city's second title, after the original Toulouse FC won it in 1957.

Did You Know?

• The violet in the club's identity references Toulouse's nickname 'la Cité des violettes' (the City of Violets).
• The team's logo displays the gold and blood-red Occitan cross, the symbol of Occitania.
• The Derby de la Garonne is a rivalry between Toulouse and Girondins de Bordeaux, named after the Garonne River.