PARIS vs

A few years later, the AJA training center became one of the most famous in Europe, like the one of FC Nantes at that time. Players like Eric Cantona, Basile Boli and Philippe Mexes have been trained in this center.

Two years later, in 1980, AJA entered the first division of the French soccer championship for the first time in its history. In 1993, Guy Roux's team competed in the UEFA Cup, the forerunner of the Europa League, and faced Borussia Dortmund in a double confrontation of anthology. After having lost 2 to 0 in the Westfalenstadion, the ajaïstes tore off the extra time during the return match in the abbé Deschamps. Despite the memorable atmosphere, AJA lost to BVB on penalties.

The end of the 90's marked the beginning of AJA's golden period: the club won 4 French Cups and a D1 championship in 1996. In 2004, Guy Roux announced his retirement after 45 years as a coach at AJ Auxerre. With his club of all time, he has seen players like Laurent Blanc, Stéphane Guivarc'h and Djibril Cissé, a legend of the AJA.

At Auxerre, Jean-Marc Furlan set up his project and advocated an offensive and attractive game. He even convinced some of his former players of Stade Brestois, the club with which he also climbed to Ligue 1, to come and strengthen his squad. These include Gaétan Charbonnier, Mathias Autret and Donovan Léon.

During the 2021/22 Ligue 2 BKT season, Toulouse finished first and AC Ajaccio second, AJ Auxerre, who realized an exceptional season, finished on the last step of the podium, synonymous with a qualification round before hoping to play the play-offs.

In these decisive matches for the future of AJA, Jean-Marc Furlan's players managed to defeat FC Sochaux in an incredible penalty shootout at the Abbé Deschamps.

In the play-off, Auxerre was opposed to AS Saint-Etienne, mythical club of the French championship. After a double confrontation, AJA finally be done with ASSE during a new penalty shoot-out which will remain forever engraved in the history of the Burgundian club.

10 years later, AJ Auxerre is back in the elite of French soccer and hopes to write a new page of its history.

Paris Saint-Germain and AJ Auxerre have played each other many times since AJA's rise to the first division in 1980. It is at the end of the 90's, beginning of the 2000's, that the sporting rivalry was the strongest between the two clubs. This rivalry was marked by the title of French champion obtained by the Burgundians in 1996, finishing in front of PSG and AS Monaco. But also by the final of the French Cup won by AJA in 2003 thanks to goals from Djibril Cissé and Jean-Alain Boumsong against the team of Ronaldinho.

In 2010, PSG hosted AJA at the Parc des Princes, who had just played Ajax Amsterdam in the European Cup, but were in the red zone of the ranking at that time of the season. The game started very well with Nenê opening the score in the second minute of the game before Mignot equalized for Auxerre. Unleashed, the Ajaïstes followed up with a second and a third goal in the 28th minute. At the end of the game, Nenê signed a double but this goal was not enough for the Parisians to come back to the score. This victory was important to launch AJA's season in Ligue 1.

During its 10 years in Ligue 2 between 2012 and 2022, AJA met Paris Saint-Germain in the final of the 2015 edition of the French Cup. During this very close match at the Stade de France, Paris Saint-Germain found the solution in the Auxerre defense when Cavani sent the ball into the net with a header that only he can do. Thanks to this precious achievement, PSG won its 9th French Cup that night.