AJ Auxerre

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Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise, or AJ Auxerre, is a French football team, founded in 1905, playing in the town of Auxerre in Burgundy. Its home ground is Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the River Yonne (capacity 23,467, 22,000 seated). Auxerre are famous throughout Europe, their success at the highest level being unprecedented for a club from such a small town (under 40,000).

After the 2004-05 season, Auxerre was forced to seek a new manager for the first time in over 40 years, as Guy Roux retired after having been manager since 1961. Roux saw the club rise through every division in French football, culminating in promotion to Ligue 1 in 1980, and the French championship in 1996.

Auxerre replaced Roux with Jacques Santini, a former France national team head coach who had also managed several top French clubs and had a brief stint at Tottenham Hotspur of England. Santini was sacked after only one season however, failing to guide Auxerre into Europe. He will be replaced by Jean Fernandez for the 2006-07 season.

Contents

1 Honours
2 History

2.1 Beginnings
2.2 Timeline

3 2005/06 player roster
4 Notable Former Players
5 External link

Honours

Ligue 1 Championship: 1995-96
Ligue 2 Championship: 1979-80
French Cup: 1993-94, 1995-96, 2002-03, 2004-05
French Cup finalists: 1978-79
Intertoto Cup winners: 1996-97
Intertoto Cup finalists: 1999-2000
Coppa delle Alpi: 1985, 1987
France DH Bourgogne champions: 1969-70
France DH Bourgogne joint-champions: 1908-09
Vice-champion of France FGSPF: 1908-09
Champion of Bourgogne FGSPF: 1905-06 1906-07 1907-08 1908-09 1909-10 1910-11 1911-12 1912-13 1913-14

History

Beginnings

The club Association de la Jeuness Auxerroise was founded in 1905, by the priest Father Deschamps. The club quickly tasted success, becoming a force in the catholic league F.G.S.P.F. In 1908, the club even reached the F.G.S.P.F. French Championship final, losing 8-1 however. At the end of the First World War, the club was expelled from its ground. Father Deschamps acquired several pieces of land along the Yonne on the Vaux road, which later formed the Abbé Deschamps Stadium. Today, AJ Auxerre is the only top flight club apart from AC Ajaccio to own its own ground

Timeline

1905 - Father Deschamps draws up the statutes for a new club to promote sporting activity for young people. The "Youth Association of Auxerre" is officially born on the 29th December 1905; a club for all sports, including disciplines as varied as gymnastics, athletics and fencing, among others.

1906 - Establishment of the football section. The team plays in black until 1908.

1918 - AJA play in the first French Cup

1929 - AJA become the champions of the Yonne region.

1950 - Death of Father Deschamps, on the 1st of September. His name is given the stadium on the route de Vaux the following year.

1952 - Guy Roux signs his first contract with AJA

1961 - Guy Roux becomes player-coach.

1970 - AJA move into the French Amateur League

1974 - AJA are promoted into the French Second Division.

1979 - AJA come to nationwide attention in reaching the French Cup Final to much surprise, only losing in extra-time 1-4 to FC Nantes, the runners-up in the League.

1980 - AJA are promoted to the first division.

1984 - the club qualifies for European competition (UEFA Cup) for the first time, but loses in the first round to Sporting Lisbon (0-2, 2-2).

1993 - AJA reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup, where they are beaten on penalties by Borussia Dortmund (0-2, 2-0) - the club's best European performance to date.

1994 - AJA collect their first French Cup, beating Montpellier 3-0.

1996 - AJA win their first French championship, and take the double by beating Nîmes 2-1 in the French Cup Final.

2003 - AJA take their third cup final, overcoming PSG 2-1 with two goals in the final ten minutes.

2005 - AJA succeed in taking a fourth cup victor; a last-minute goal from Bonaventure Kalou securing a 2-1 win.

2005 - After forty-four years at the helm, Guy Roux stands down as manager to be replaced by Jacques Santini on 7th June.

2005/06 player roster

(on loan from Aston Villa F.C.)

(on loan from Olympique Marseille)

Notable Former Players

External link

() [Official website]

Ligue 1
Auxerre \| Bordeaux \| Le Mans \| Lens \| Lille \| Lorient \| Lyon \| Marseille \| Monaco \| Nancy \| Nantes Nice \| PSG \| Rennes \| Sochaux \| Saint-Étienne \| Sedan \| Toulouse \| Troyes \| Valenciennes 2003-4 season \| 2004-5 season \| 2005-6 season \| 2006-7 season

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