PARIS
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The history of AC Ajaccio
Founded in 1910 under the white and red colors, the Athletic Club Ajaccien played at the amateur level until 1965. During this period, the ACA, which played its matches at the Jean-Lluis stadium, won 8 Corsican championships.
In 1965, following numerous administrative relegations of D2 teams which benefited the Corsicans, the ACA entered a new dimension by integrating the second division of French soccer.
AC Ajaccio quickly find a place for itself in the French soccer landscape by becoming the first Corsican club to win a French professional championship, which was synonymous with their accession to the first division.
After several seasons in the elite of French soccer where ACA can count on players such as Marius Trésor, Dominique Baratelli, François M'Pelé or Claude Le Roy, the Corsican club encountered financial difficulties that condemned it to return in regional league in 1975.
It was not until 1992 that a new management team invoked the revival of the Ajaccio Bear, symbol of the club, with the ambition to get back to the elite of French soccer. Still in regional level at that time, the ACA climbed season after season the different levels of French amateur soccer to meet again the professional world and the Ligue 2 in 1998, more than 20 years after having left it.
From the 2000s onwards, AC Ajaccio, which has seen many coaches pass through its ranks, including Rolland Courbis and Olivier Pantaloni, has managed to maintain itself at the professional level: the ACA alternates between seasons in Ligue 2 and accessions to the first division.
AC Ajaccio News
Present in the second division since 2014, AC Ajaccio has been hoping for many years to return to the elite of French soccer and all the visibility it brings. Olivier Pantaloni, who had already played for the Red and White as a player and then as a coach between 2009 and 2012, has been back on the ACA bench since the club's relegation to Ligue 2 in 2014.
After coming close to the regression to Third division during the 2018/19 season that could have condemned the Corsican club, the Ajaccio Bear rumbled again the following season.
In the 2019/20 year, which was marked by the health crisis, the ACA was in 3rd place in the Ligue 2 championship when the season was stopped definitively. Despite appeals for play-offs, only the top two teams in the league, RC Lens and FC Lorient, had the opportunity to reach the Ligue 1.
Two years later, AC Ajaccio finally succeeded in its challenge to return to the elite of French soccer. After a historical season 2021/22 with 75 points collected, ACA finishes at the second position of the Ligue 2 BKT ranking behind the champion Toulouse and ahead of AJ Auxerre. This new accession is due in particular to an exceptional defensive base with only 19 goals conceded over the season, a record in Ligue 2.
In the 2022/23 season, the ACA find again Ligue 1 Uber Eats and the historical clubs that make it up. The François-Coty stadium will once again be able to host clubs such as Olympique Lyonnais, Olympique de Marseille or AS Monaco. It had been 5 years since a Corsican club had been in the first division of French soccer.
The Encounters
16 played
- 9 won
- 5 drawn
- 2 lost
25 goals scored 12 goals conceded
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D35 - L1 22/23 May 13, 2023
5
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0
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D12 - L1 22/23 October 21, 2022
3
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0
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Round of 16 - League Cup December 17, 2014
1
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3
The Parisians against Ajaccio
In 1973, Ajaccio and Paris already faced each other in the French second division championship. The Corsicans, playing in their Timizzolu stadium, won the match by the smallest of margins (1-0) against a PSG coached at that time by the legendary Just Fontaine.
In 2012, Paris Saint-Germain won the match 4-1 against ACA in a game where the Brazilian Nenê had been particularly dangerous for the Corsican defense. The former Parisian number 10 scored at the end of the match and also saw his teammates Pastore, Menez and Hoarau contributing to the victory.
On matchday 2 of the 2013/14 season, Paris Saint-Germain hosted AC Ajaccio in a sold-out Parc des Princes. Benoit Pedretti, former Olympique de Marseille and LOSC player opened the score in the 7th minute of the game before Edinson Cavani equalized in the very last moments. ACA's Mexican goalkeeper at the time, Guillermo Ochoa, put in an outstanding performance to earn a precious draw in front of the 39 attempts of the Parisian players.
Players to follow Duel
Marcos Aoas Correa, known as Marquinhos, is a Brazilian player who has been playing for Paris Saint-Germain since the summer of 2013. After spending two years with AS Roma, he joined the capital at just 19 years of age, establishing himself season after season as an undisputed starter with the Red and Blue. A central defender by training, he can also play in midfield as a recuperative midfielder. On September 28, 2013, he scored his first French league goal against Toulouse Football Club, helping the Parisians to a 2-0 victory. The second goal was scored by Edinson Cavani.
Born in Pas-de-Calais, Benjamin Leroy trained at AS Nancy Lorraine and at Châteauroux. He then made his professional debut at Tours, at this time in Ligue 2, where he played 115 games. The goalkeeper born in 89 discovered the elite of French soccer when he joined Evian Thonon Gaillard in 2014, just a few years after the Savoyard club experienced its first rise in Ligue 1. After 2 seasons as substitute at Dijon FCO, Benjamin Leroy joined the ranks of AC Ajaccio with the goal of meeting again a place of number 1 and the Ligue 1. For his 4th season with the Bears, Benjamin Leroy was elected best goalkeeper of Ligue 2 at the UNFP trophies 2021/22 and contributed greatly to the accession of his team in the first division.
François-Coty Stadium
1971 – 10 660 places
Ancienne Route de Sartène – 20090 Ajaccio
Officially inaugurated in 1971, the Timizzolu stadium, named François-Coty stadium in honor of the former mayor of Ajaccio, is the home of the ACA for over 40 years.
This stadium, which is considered as one of the most beautiful in Europe, for its unobstructed view on the Mediterranean Sea, has hosted many matches of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 including the derbies against Gazélec Ajaccio and Sporting Club Bastia.
With a capacity of 10,660 seats, this stadium has the particularity of having only 3 stands. There is no south stand because the will of the leaders of the time was to keep this unique view on the sea and the surrounding mountains.
On May 14, 2022, the Stade François-Coty was the scene of an extraordinary evening. After its victory against TFC during the last day thanks to a goal from Nouri, the supporters of the ACA invade the lawn to celebrate their accession in Ligue 1 Uber Eats.
A little more of Ajaccio..
The largest city in Corsica, the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte attracts thousands of tourists every year because of its history and its advantageous landscapes. But Ajaccio is also the scene of exceptional sporting events:
- Ajaccio welcomes for the first time a stage of the Tour de France during the 2013 edition of the Tour
- The place of departure or arrival of the Tour de Corse automobile, one of the most beautiful and technical courses of the WRC championship
- The city of the Gazélec Football Club Ajaccio, rival club of the ACA having evolved in League 1 in 2015/16 and possessing a team of Volley-Ball in League A, but also of Handball and Basket-Ball
