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Lille Olympique Sporting Club (), commonly referred to as LOSC, LOSC Lille or simply Lille, is a French professional football club based in
Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the Nord ...
,
Hauts-de-France Hauts-de-France (; pcd, Heuts-d'Franche; , also ''Upper France'') is the northernmost region of France, created by the territorial reform of French regions in 2014, from a merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. Its prefecture is Lille. The ...
that competes in
Ligue 1 Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. ...
, the top flight of
French football Association football is the most popular sport in France. The French Football Federation (FFF, Fédération Française de Football) is the national governing body and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of association football in the cou ...
. Lille has played its home matches since 2012 at
Stade Pierre-Mauroy The Stade Pierre-Mauroy, also known as the Decathlon Arena – Stade Pierre-Mauroy for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-use retractable roof stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq (Métropole Européenne de Lille), France, that opened in August 2012. It has ...
, the fourth-largest football stadium in France. The 50,186-capacity
retractable roof A retractable roof is a roof system designed to roll back the roof of a structure so that the interior of the facility is open to the outdoors. Retractable roofs are sometimes referred to as operable roofs or retractable skylights. The term op ...
venue replaced the club's previous home of
Stadium Lille-Metropole A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand o ...
. Lille was founded as a result of a merger between
Olympique Lillois Olympique Lillois was a French association football club from the city of Lille. Founded in 1902 they merged with SC Fives in 1944 to form Lille OSC. Honours Championnat de France *Champion: 1914, 1933 *Runner-up: 1936 Trophée de France ...
and
SC Fives SC Fives was a French association football club from Fives, a suburb in the east of Lille. Founded in 1901, the club merged with Olympique Lillois in 1944 to form Lille OSC. Honours Championnat de France *Runner-up : 1934 Coupe de France *Final ...
in 1944. Both clubs were founding members of the
French Division 1 Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. A ...
and Olympique Lillois was the league's inaugural champions. In domestic football, the club has won four league titles, six
Coupes de France The Coupe de France, formerly known as the Coupe Charles Simon, is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation (FFF). It was first held in 1917 and is open to all amateur and professional ...
and one
Trophée des Champions The Trophée des Champions (, ) is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the super cups found in many other countries. His ...
since its foundation. In European football, Lille has participated in the
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
eight times, reaching the knockout phase twice, competed in the
UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
on eight occasions and won the
UEFA Intertoto Cup The UEFA Intertoto Cup (from la, Inter, 'between' + german: toto, ' betting pool'),Most precisely, from ( football pool); cf. often abbreviated and more known in the German-speaking world as UI Cup and originally called the International F ...
in
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
after finishing as runners-up in
2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains independence from Indonesia and ...
. The club's most successful period was the decade from 1946 to 1956, in the post-war period, when the team led by managers George Berry and
André Cheuva André Cheuva (30 May 1908 – 5 February 1989) was a French footballer who played midfielder. After retiring, he became a manager, and won 4 Coupe de France The Coupe de France, formerly known as the Coupe Charles Simon, is the premier ...
won seven major trophies, including a League/Cup
double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * Th ...
in 1946, and was known as ''La Machine de Guerre'' (
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...
for "The War Machine"). Having won another double in 2011, its fourth league title in
2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
as well as its first French super cup, Lille is the fourth best French club in the 21st century. Nicknamed ''Les Dogues'' (French for "The
Mastiffs A mastiff is a large and powerful type of dog. Mastiffs are among the largest dogs, and typically have a short coat, a long low-set tail and large feet; the skull is large and bulky, the muzzle broad and short (brachycephalic) and the ears droo ...
"), the club has a long-standing rivalry with nearby side
Lens A lens is a transmissive optical device which focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements'' ...
, with whom they contest the
Derby du Nord The Derby du Nord (, ''Northern Derby'') is a football rivalry contested between French clubs Lille OSC and RC Lens, two of the region's most successful clubs. Both clubs are located in northern France, though in different departments: Lille in ...
. Lille leads in the head-to-head record between the two rivals and in terms of total trophies won. Currently owned by Luxembourg-based investment fund Merlyn Partners SCSp, it's the fifth-most followed French sports club on
social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social me ...
.


History


First decade of glory : The War Machine (1944–1955)

Before the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, the city of Lille had two clubs at the top level;
Olympique Lillois Olympique Lillois was a French association football club from the city of Lille. Founded in 1902 they merged with SC Fives in 1944 to form Lille OSC. Honours Championnat de France *Champion: 1914, 1933 *Runner-up: 1936 Trophée de France ...
and
SC Fives SC Fives was a French association football club from Fives, a suburb in the east of Lille. Founded in 1901, the club merged with Olympique Lillois in 1944 to form Lille OSC. Honours Championnat de France *Runner-up : 1934 Coupe de France *Final ...
. Olympique Lillois were crowned domestic champions in 1932–33, the very firsts in the history of the championship that was created in 1932, and were runners-up in 1935–36. They also earned a
USFSA Football Championship U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport of figure skating in the United States. It is recognized as such by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee "USOPC" under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act and ...
title in
1914 This year saw the beginning of what became known as World War I, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. It also saw the first airline to provide schedule ...
, the French football top division before the creation of the French Division 1, and went to the
Coupe de France The Coupe de France, formerly known as the Coupe Charles Simon, is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation (FFF). It was first held in 1917 and is open to all amateur and professio ...
final in
1939 This year also marks the start of the Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Third Reich *** Jews are forbidde ...
. Their neighbours, SC Fives, ranked second in 1933–34. They also went to the Coupe de France final, being defeated by Girondins AS Port in
1941 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January– August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar E ...
. Weakened by the war, the two clubs decided to merge in the autumn of 1944, on 23 September, giving birth to Stade Lillois, renamed Lille Olympique Sporting Club a few weeks later. On 25 November 1944, the club is officially registered under its new name. For its very first season, the newborn club reached the
1945 Coupe de France final The 1945 Coupe de France Final was a football match held at Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes on May 6, 1945, that saw RC Paris defeat Lille OSC 3–0 thanks to goals by André Philippot, Pierre Ponsetti and Oscar Heisserer. Match detai ...
, with a squad composed of the best players of both merging teams, who are mostly natives of the Nord department. Next season, Lille won the
double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * Th ...
, beating Red Star in the
1946 Coupe de France Final The 1946 Coupe de France Final was a football match held at Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Colombes on 26 May 1946, that saw Lille OSC defeat Red Star OA 4–2 thanks to goals by Bolek Tempowski, René Bihel and Roger Vandooren (2). Match de ...
and finishing at the first place of
French Division 1 Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. A ...
ahead of
Saint-Étienne Saint-Étienne (; frp, Sant-Etiève; oc, Sant Estève, ) is a city and the prefecture of the Loire department in eastern-central France, in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Saint-Étienne is the ...
and Roubaix-Tourcoing. In 1947, Lille finished in the fourth place but came back to the Coupe de France
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: * Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
and retained the trophy, defeating Strasbourg. The club won the cup again in
1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...
beating main rivals
Lens A lens is a transmissive optical device which focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements'' ...
, its third in a row, and were runners-up of the league the same year, behind
Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fran ...
that became the champions after a strong 1947–48 season finishing. They were also runners-up in 1948–49, 1949–50 and 1950–51. On 24 June 1951, an exhausted Lille reached the
Latin Cup The Latin Cup was an international football tournament for club sides from the Southwest European nations of France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. In 1949 the football federations came together and requested FIFA to launch the competition. Eur ...
final and lost against
Gre-No-Li Gre-No-Li is a contraction of the surnames of three Swedish footballers: Gunnar Gren, Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm. The denomination was colloquially used after these players composed a formidable trio of attacking players while playing for ...
's
AC Milan Associazione Calcio Milan (), commonly referred to as AC Milan or simply Milan, is a professional football club in Milan, Italy, founded in 1899. The club has spent its entire history, with the exception of the 1980–81 and 1982–83 season ...
after having played 250 minutes in the span of two days. On 31 May 1953, they got back to winning and earned their fourth Coupe de France trophy in a 2–1
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: * Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
win against
FC Nancy Football club de Nancy was a French association football team playing in the city of Nancy, Meurthe-et-Moselle. The team was founded in 1901 and dissolved in 1968. Honours * Coupe de France The Coupe de France, formerly known as the Cou ...
, before 60,000 spectators. The club then won its second domestic title in 1953–54, having only conceded 22 goals within 34 games. After this season, Lille is praised for its defensive proficiency and acquired a reputation as a rock-solid defense. A year later, ''Les Dogues'' earned their fifth Coupe de France in a 5-2 win against
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture ...
in the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: * Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
. This period of glory and hegemony, occurring after the war and the
German occupation of France The Military Administration in France (german: Militärverwaltung in Frankreich; french: Occupation de la France par l'Allemagne) was an interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during World War II to administer the occupied zo ...
, has led to one of the club's nicknames: ''La Machine de Guerre'' (
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...
for "The War Machine"). Within its first decade of existence, the club gathered the vast majority of its major trophies, winning two league titles and reaching the second place for four consecutive seasons. Lille, known as the best French club in the post-war period, accumulated five Coupe de France wins in seven finals, including five successive finals and winning the trophy three times in a row, one of the best performances in the history of the tournament.


Decline, reconstruction and reorganization (1956–2000)

Lille were relegated for the first time in 1956. The club became a mid-table side and in the late 1960s, after a long period of anonymity, and weighed down by a lack of facilities and resources, Lille abandoned its professional status. It was feared that the club might disappear. However, some young leaders, such as Max Pommerolle, came and gave new impetus to the club. Nevertheless, the results remained erratic and the only titles that ignited the fans' passions were won in the
Second Division In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
. In July 1980, Lille was the first French club to opt for the status of a
mixed economy company Mixed is the past tense of ''mix''. Mixed may refer to: * Mixed (United Kingdom ethnicity category), an ethnicity category that has been used by the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics since the 1991 Census * ''Mixed'' (album), a co ...
, of which the city of Lille became the majority shareholder. Presidents Jacques Amyot, Roger Deschodt and Jacques Dewailly all struggled to compete with the top teams in the country. Amyot's resignation in 1990 led to three more difficult years for the club which compromised its very existence. It took Bernard Lecomte's arrival in 1993 to set the club finances on the road to recovery. After a final relegation in 1997, the team trained by Bosnian coach
Vahid Halilhodžić Vahid Halilhodžić (; born 15 October 1952) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. He is regarded as one of the most controversially successful Bosnian football managers, due to his successful tenure in coaching various n ...
was soon promoted back to the elite, in the same year the French Football League was privatised. Club was purchased in 1999 by
Luc Dayan Luc or LUC may refer to: Places * Luc, Hautes-Pyrénées, France, a commune * Luc, Lozère, France, a commune * Le Luc, France, a commune * Luč, Baranja, Croatia, a settlement People and fictional characters * Luc (given name) * Luc (surname) ...
and
Francis Graille Francis Graille (born 25 April 1955) is a French businessman and executive. He has worked for various media companies, and served as the president of professional football clubs Lille OSC, Paris Saint-Germain, and AJ Auxerre. Career In 1982, ...
for 1 symbolic franc.


Back to the top and new double (2000–2016)

In just its first season back in the top flight
2000–01 French Division 1 The 2000–01 Ligue 1 season (then called Division 1) was the 63rd since its establishment. FC Nantes won the French Association Football League for the eighth time with 68 points. Participating teams * Auxerre * Bastia * Bordeaux * Guingamp ...
, Lille qualified for
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...
for the first time in the club's history, booking its place in the 2001–02 Champions League. On the back of the club's new status, Lille entered into a decisive new era under the guidance of chairman and chief executive officer
Michel Seydoux Michel Seydoux (; born 11 September 1947) is a French businessman and film producer. He is also the former president and chairman of French professional football club Lille OSC. In 1975-1976, Seydoux worked with director Alejandro Jodorowsky on ...
and coach
Claude Puel Claude Jacques Puel (; born 2 September 1961) is a French Association football, football manager and former Football player, player. He spent his entire playing career with AS Monaco FC, Monaco, before becoming manager of the club, leading them ...
. The club left the historical
Stade Grimonprez-Jooris Stade Grimonprez-Jooris was a multi-purpose stadium in Lille, France, built in 1974. It was used mainly for football matches as it was home to the Lille OSC football club from 1975 until 2004, when the stadium was closed. The club originally pl ...
to join the
Stadium Lille Métropole Stadium Lille-Métropole is a multi-purpose stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France. The stadium was built in 1976 and is able to hold 18,154 spectators. The architect of the stadium was Roger Taillibert. It was used as the temporary home stadium of ...
and became a regular on the European scene. Amongst its most emphatic results was the 1–0 victory over
Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
at the
Stade de France The Stade de France (, ) is the national stadium of France, located just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. Its seating capacity of 80,698 makes it the sixth-largest stadium in Europe. The stadium is used by the France national foot ...
in 2005, the 2–0 triumph over
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard language, Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the List of cities in Italy, second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4  ...
in
San Siro Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, commonly known as San Siro, is a football stadium in the San Siro district of Milan, Italy, which is the home of A.C. Milan and Inter Milan. It has a seating capacity of 80,018, making it one of the largest stadiums ...
in 2006 and the 1–0 home win over
Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...
in 2010. In the 2010s, Lille knew a steady development on and off the pitch, and has established itself as one of the most important clubs in French Ligue 1. First, the inauguration of the vast and modern Domaine de Luchin training complex in 2007 brings the club to a new era, the center being one of the largest in France. Roughly at the same time, the construction of the 50,000-capacity
Grand Stade Lille Métropole The Stade Pierre-Mauroy, also known as the Decathlon Arena – Stade Pierre-Mauroy for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-use retractable roof stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq (Métropole Européenne de Lille), France, that opened in August 2012. It has ...
(renamed later Stade Pierre-Mauroy), which opened in 2012, began on 29 March 2010 and will give the club the fourth-largest football stadium in France. Successive strong results and a sporting progression under head coach
Rudi Garcia Rudi José Garcia (; ; born 20 February 1964) is a French professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Saudi Professional League club Al Nassr. Early life Rudi Garcia's father, José, was a Spanish expatriate who playe ...
took the club back to the top of the French league. Fifty-six years after the club's last trophy,
2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
first team, led by home-grown players
Yohan Cabaye Yohan Cabaye (; born 14 January 1986) is a French former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Cabaye began his football career playing for hometown club US Tourcoing at the age of six. After seven years developing in the club's ...
,
Mathieu Debuchy Mathieu Debuchy (born 28 July 1985) is a French professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Ligue 2 club Valenciennes. Debuchy started his senior career at Lille, where he won a Ligue 1 and Coupe de France double in the 2010–11 sea ...
and
Eden Hazard Eden Michael Walter Hazard (born 7 January 1991) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for La Liga club Real Madrid. Known for his creativity, dribbling, passing and vision, Hazard is considered one ...
, won the club's second double after finishing at the
2010–11 Ligue 1 The 2010–11 Ligue 1 season (known as ''Ligue 1 Orange'' for sponsorship reasons) was the 73rd since its establishment. Entering the season, Marseille were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 21 May 2010 and the season began ...
top spot and defeating
Paris Saint-Germain Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As F ...
in the
2011 Coupe de France final The 2011 Coupe de France Final was the 93rd final of France's most prestigious football cup competition. The final took place on 14 May 2011 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis and was contested between Paris Saint-Germain and Lille. Paris Sa ...
. In the 2011–12 and
2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
Ligue 1 seasons, Lille confirmed its place belong top French football teams, finishing successively at the second and sixth places and qualifying for the
2012–13 Champions League 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length  ...
. In 2013, Garcia left to join
Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: Places Australia * Roma, Queensland, a town ** Roma Airport ** Roma Courthouse ** Electoral district of Roma, defunct ** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council * Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
, while former Montpellier coach
René Girard René Noël Théophile Girard (; ; 25 December 1923 – 4 November 2015) was a French polymath, historian, literary critic, and philosopher of social science whose work belongs to the tradition of philosophical anthropology. Girard was the a ...
was appointed as new manager. Under Girard, Lille finished at the third place in 2013–14, behind
Zlatan Ibrahimović Zlatan Ibrahimović (, ; born 3 October 1981) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a striker for club AC Milan and the Sweden national team. Ibrahimović is renowned for his acrobatic strikes and volleys, powerful long-range sh ...
's Paris Saint-Germain and
James Rodríguez James David Rodríguez Rubio (born 12 July 1991) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or a winger for Super League Greece club Olympiacos and the Colombia national team. He has been praised in the past ...
's
Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign ''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word ...
. After two years in charge of the club and a deceiving eight seed at the end of the 2014–15 Ligue 1 season, Girard left the club by mutual consent. In May 2015, the Ivory Coast national team head coach
Hervé Renard Hervé Jean-Marie Roger Renard (born 30 September 1968) is a French professional football coach and former player who is the manager of the Saudi Arabia national team. Renard has previously been the manager of Zambia national team, with whom ...
was appointed as the new manager. On 11 November 2015, Renard was terminated as manager and was replaced by
Frederic Antonetti Frederic may refer to: Places United States * Frederic, Wisconsin, a village in Polk County * Frederic Township, Michigan, a township in Crawford County ** Frederic, Michigan, an unincorporated community Other uses * Frederic (band), a Japanes ...
. On 23 November 2016, a year after being appointed, Lille terminated Antonetti's contract with the club lying second last in the table.


Campos and Galtier era: sustained success (2017–2021)

In early 2017, Lille appointed Luis Campos as
sporting director A sporting director, or director of sport, is an executive management position in a sports club. The role is well known as a manager role for European football clubs, which are sometime also "sports clubs", offering many types of sports. The sport ...
and head of recruitment. A short time afterwards, the club announced the arrival of Argentine famous manager
Marcelo Bielsa Marcelo Alberto Bielsa Caldera (, nicknamed ''El Loco Bielsa'' , meaning "The Crazy Bielsa"; born 21 July 1955) is an Argentine professional football manager who was most recently the head coach of Premier League club Leeds United. He is a for ...
. In November 2017, Bielsa was suspended by Lille following an unauthorized trip to
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...
with the club lying second from bottom on the table again and only managing 3 wins from the first 14 games of the season. On 23 December 2017, Bielsa was terminated by Lille and replaced with former Saint-Etienne manager
Christophe Galtier Christophe Galtier (born 23 August 1966) is a French professional football coach and former player who is the head coach of Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain. A defender, Galtier was a journeyman professional who spent many of his 15 years as a ...
. In a difficult 2017–18 season, Lille managed to avoid relegation to Ligue 2 by defeating
Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger Regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania. The city is on t ...
3–2 in the second last game of the campaign. Lille's following season is completely different. After the arrivals of veterans
José Fonte José Miguel da Rocha Fonte (born 22 December 1983) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Ligue 1 club Lille and the Portugal national team. Fonte started his professional career with Sporting CP B, moving to ...
and
Loïc Rémy Loïc Alex Teliére Hubert Rémy (born 2 January 1987) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Brest. Rémy began his career playing for a local youth club in his home city of Lyon, before joining the bigge ...
, Turkish right-back
Zeki Çelik Mehmet Zeki Çelik (born 17 February 1997) is a Turkish professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Serie A club Roma and the Turkey national team. Club career Bursaspor Born in Bursa as the youngest of nine children, Çelik went thro ...
and forwards
Jonathan Bamba Jonathan Zino Bamba (born 26 March 1996) is a French professional footballer who plays as a winger for Ligue 1 club Lille. Club career Saint Étienne Bamba is a graduate of the Saint Étienne youth academy, which he joined in 2011. Bamba mad ...
,
Jonathan Ikoné Nanitamo Jonathan Ikoné (born 2 May 1998) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Fiorentina and the France national team. Club career Paris Saint-Germain Ikone made his professional debut on 28 September 2 ...
and
Rafael Leão Rafael Alexandre da Conceição Leão (; born 10 June 1999) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for club AC Milan and the Portugal national team. Graduating from Sporting CP youth system, Leão made his first-team d ...
, the team proceeded to reel off a string of victories, losing only five games in the first part of the 2018–19 Ligue 1 season. On 14 April 2019, before a record attendance of 49,712 spectators, they defeated Paris Saint-Germain in a historic and storming 5–1 home win with goals from
Nicolas Pépé Nicolas Pépé (born 29 May 1995) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for club Nice, on loan from Arsenal of the . Born in France, he represents the Ivory Coast national team. Pépé began his senior club career with Poitiers ...
, Jonathan Bamba,
Gabriel In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብ� ...
and team captain José Fonte. At the end of the season, Lille secured the second place to qualify for the
2019–20 UEFA Champions League The 2019–20 UEFA Champions League was the 65th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 28th season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League. Bayern Munich ...
group stage; they returned to the competition after a seven-year absence. On 1 August 2019, club's season-top scorer Nicolas Pépé is sold to Premier League side
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
in a club-record fee of €80 million (£72 million). Lille announced the recruitment of
Victor Osimhen Victor James Osimhen (born 29 December 1998) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Napoli and the Nigeria national team. Born in Nigeria, Osimhen began his senior career in Germany at VfL Wolfsburg in 2017. Fo ...
and
Tiago Djaló Tiago Emanuel Embaló Djaló (; 9 April 2000) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for French club Lille mainly as a central defender but also as a full-back. Club career Sporting CP Djaló was born in Amadora, Lisbon metropoli ...
on the same day, after the signings of
Timothy Weah Timothy Tarpeh Weah (born February 22, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a winger for Ligue 1 club Lille and the United States national team. Weah is the son of former professional soccer player, Ballon d'Or winner, ...
, Reinildo Mandava and
Benjamin André Benjamin Michel Édouard André (born 3 August 1990) is a French professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder or defensive midfielder for Ligue 1 club Lille. Club career Ajaccio André was with the Corsica-based club Ajaccio since ...
a few weeks earlier. The club then announced the arrivals of
Yusuf Yazıcı Yusuf Yazıcı (born 29 January 1997) is a Turkish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Süper Lig club Trabzonspor, on loan from French club Lille, and the Turkey national team. An academy graduate of Trabzons ...
and
Renato Sanches Renato Júnior Luz Sanches (; born 18 August 1997) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Portugal national team. Sanches began his career at Benfica, making his profes ...
to strengthen the midfield. In early March 2020, the Northmen were in 4th place with 49 points after 28 rounds. However, the Ligue 1 season ended abruptly as the LFP first suspended domestic leagues indefinitely following the outbreak of COVID-19 in France on 13 March, and then definitely cancelled French football competitions a month and a half later. In the 2020 summer transfer window, Lille chose to sign young talents
Sven Botman Sven Adriaan Botman (born 12 January 2000) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for club Newcastle United. He has represented the Netherlands at youth levels under-15 through under-21. Club career Ajax On 23 June 2018, ...
and
Jonathan David Jonathan Christian David (born January 14, 2000) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Lille. Born in the United States to Haitian parents, David was raised in Ottawa, Ontario, and represents the C ...
as well as veteran
Burak Yılmaz Burak Yılmaz (born 15 July 1985) is a Turkish professional footballer who plays as a forward for Eredivisie club Fortuna Sittard. Yılmaz is one of nine players to play for each of the Big Three clubs of Turkey, and one of only two players ...
. At the end of the 2020–21 season first half, Lille had only lost two games and was well installed in the top league rankings, having defeated
Derby du Nord The Derby du Nord (, ''Northern Derby'') is a football rivalry contested between French clubs Lille OSC and RC Lens, two of the region's most successful clubs. Both clubs are located in northern France, though in different departments: Lille in ...
rivals
Lens A lens is a transmissive optical device which focuses or disperses a light beam by means of refraction. A simple lens consists of a single piece of transparent material, while a compound lens consists of several simple lenses (''elements'' ...
in a 4–0 home win on 18 October 2020. The Mastiffs started the second part of the season with a six-game winning streak and lost only once until the end. On 3 April 2021, Lille won at Paris with a Jonathan David goal and took over sole possession of first place in the league. Three weeks later, Lille came back from two goals down to beat
Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of ...
at
Groupama Stadium Parc Olympique Lyonnais, known for sponsorship reasons as Groupama Stadium, is a 59,186-seat stadium in Décines-Charpieu, in the Lyon Metropolis. The home of French football club Olympique Lyonnais, it replaced their previous stadium, Stade de ...
as Burak Yılmaz scored twice including a 27-yard free kick in a breathtaking 3–2 away win. Lille then defeated local rivals once again, scoring three goals at Lens and prevailing in the season with an aggregate score of 7–0. On 23 May, Lille sealed the Ligue 1 title with a 2-1 victory at
Angers Angers (, , ) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Anjou until the French Revolution. The inhabitants of both the city and the pr ...
after a dramatic Ligue 1 final round and won its fourth Ligue 1 title under the guidance of manager Christophe Galtier. At the end of the season, goalkeeper
Mike Maignan Mike Peterson Maignan (born 3 July 1995) is a French professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club AC Milan and the France national team. Maignan came through the youth teams at Paris Saint-Germain, he was an unused substitute ...
finished the season with 21 clean sheets, one short of the league season all-time record. Competing also in the
2020–21 UEFA Europa League The 2020–21 UEFA Europa League was the 50th season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 12th season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League. Villarreal defeated Manchester United ...
, they defeated AC Milan at San Siro, on 5 November 2020, in a big 3–0 away win with a hat-trick from Yusuf Yazıcı, but lost to
Ajax Ajax may refer to: Greek mythology and tragedy * Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea * Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris * ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Gree ...
in
round of 32 A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
.


Stabilization and Fonseca's arrival (2021–present)

In the 2021–22 season, Lille first won its first
Trophée des Champions The Trophée des Champions (, ) is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the super cups found in many other countries. His ...
, defeating Paris Saint-Germain with a
Xeka Miguel Ângelo da Silva Rocha (born 10 November 1994), known as Xeka (), is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder. Formed at Braga, he spent most of his career in France, playing for Lille, Dijon and Rennes in Ligue 1 a ...
goal at
Bloomfield Stadium Bloomfield Stadium ( he, אצטדיון בלומפילד) is a football stadium in Tel Aviv, Israel, with a capacity of 29,400. It is the home stadium of Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Tel Aviv, and Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv. The stadium also serves th ...
in
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...
,
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
on 1 August 2021. The Northmen then reached
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
round of 16 and are defeated by
Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament const ...
, after qualifying from the group stage against
Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...
,
Sevilla Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsul ...
and
Wolfsburg Wolfsburg (; Eastphalian: ''Wulfsborg'') is the fifth largest city in the German state of Lower Saxony, located on the river Aller. It lies about east of Hanover and west of Berlin. Wolfsburg is famous as the location of Volkswagen AG's ...
. According to an analysis report published at the end of the Ligue 1 season, Lille is the fourth best French club in Ligue 1, in the 21st century, behind Paris Saint-Germain, Lyon and Marseille. On 29 June 2022, the club appointed
Paulo Fonseca Paulo Alexandre Rodrigues Fonseca (born 5 March 1973) is a Portuguese professional football manager and former player who played as a central defender. He is the current head coach of French Ligue 1 club Lille. He amassed Primeira Liga totals ...
as new head coach of the first-team. The 2022–23 season started very well for the Northmen as they defeated
Auxerre Auxerre ( , ) is the capital of the Yonne department and the fourth-largest city in Burgundy. Auxerre's population today is about 35,000; the urban area (''aire d'attraction'') comprises roughly 113,000 inhabitants. Residents of Auxerre are re ...
, on 7 August, in a 4–1 home win. On 9 October, they defeated close rivals Lens in a 1–0 home win. Being one of the best offensive teams in the league, Fonseca's Lille is praised for its stylish, slick passing game and its attacking system. Since the beginning of the season, Lille have played in an open, offensive 4–2–3–1 formation with
Angel Gomes Adilson Angel Abreu de Almeida Gomes (born 31 August 2000) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ligue 1 club Lille and the England under-21 national team. He began his career with Manchester United at the age of ...
playing as a
central midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
behind playmaker
Rémy Cabella Rémy Cabella (born 8 March 1990) is a French professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Ligue 1 club Lille. He had two spells each at Montepellier and Saint-Étienne, winning the Ligue 1 title with the former in 2011–1 ...
and lone striker Jonathan David. Following 4–3 home win over Monaco on 23 October, only Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain have had more possession in France in the 2022–23 Ligue 1 season.


Identity and colours


Crest and nicknames

Lille's crest has changed many times. The very first crest of the newborn club was simply the
escutcheon Escutcheon may refer to: * Escutcheon (heraldry), a shield or shield-shaped emblem, displaying a coat of arms * Escutcheon (furniture), a metal plate that surrounds a keyhole or lock cylinder on a door * (in medicine) the distribution of pubic ha ...
of the city of Lille dating from
1235 Year 1235 ( MCCXXXV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events * Connacht in Ireland is finally conquered by the Hiberno-Norman Richard Mór de Burgh; Felim Ua Conchobair is expe ...
that shows an
argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions t ...
-on-
gules In heraldry, gules () is the tincture with the colour red. It is one of the class of five dark tinctures called "colours", the others being azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green) and purpure (purple). In engraving, it is sometimes depi ...
fleur-de-lys The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol. The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...
. The fleur-de-lys refers to the name and the insularity of the city. "''Lille''", or "''Lile''" and "''Lysle''" depending on the past forms, is phonetically close to "''Lisle''", an old spelling of "''Lys''". The lys also makes reference to the
water flag ''Iris pseudacorus'', the yellow flag, yellow iris, or water flag, is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. It is native to Europe, western Asia and northwest Africa. Its specific epithet ''pseudacorus'' means "false acorus", ref ...
, which were rife through the
marshes A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...
surrounding the city. The colours of the heraldry, argent (white) and gules (red), embody wisdom and wealth for the first one, and passion and faithfulness for the second. White and red were the colours of
Olympique Lillois Olympique Lillois was a French association football club from the city of Lille. Founded in 1902 they merged with SC Fives in 1944 to form Lille OSC. Honours Championnat de France *Champion: 1914, 1933 *Runner-up: 1936 Trophée de France ...
while blue, traditional colour of the team shorts, refers to
SC Fives SC Fives was a French association football club from Fives, a suburb in the east of Lille. Founded in 1901, the club merged with Olympique Lillois in 1944 to form Lille OSC. Honours Championnat de France *Runner-up : 1934 Coupe de France *Final ...
and is also present in the first-ever club crest from 1946. Red remains the main colour used by the club in its imagery, on its website or its social media. The club adopted the colours of his founding and merging parents, and the fleur-de-lys symbol that can be seen in the first badges. In 1981, the
mastiff A mastiff is a large and powerful type of dog. Mastiffs are among the largest dogs, and typically have a short coat, a long low-set tail and large feet; the skull is large and bulky, the muzzle broad and short (brachycephalic) and the ears droo ...
appeared for the first time in the club crest and has never left it. The nickname, ''Les Dogues'' (
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...
for "The Mastiffs"), evokes and emphasizes the team's aggressiveness and dedication, and was first used in the 1920s for Olympique Lillois players. Other nicknames or designations are frequently used, like ''Les Nordistes'' (French for "The Northmen") or ''Les Lillois'' (), the
demonym A demonym (; ) or gentilic () is a word that identifies a group of people (inhabitants, residents, natives) in relation to a particular place. Demonyms are usually derived from the name of the place (hamlet, village, town, city, region, province, ...
corresponding to Lille. In 1989, a new crest was unveiled which combines the fleur-de-lys and a mastiff that seems jumping out of the flower. The acronym "''LOSC''" is supplemented by the term "''Lille Métropole''" to enhance the
Métropole Européenne de Lille The Métropole Européenne de Lille (MEL; en, "European Metropolis of Lille") is the '' métropole'', an intercommunal structure, composed by a network of big cities ( Lille, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Villeneuve d'Ascq, Armentières etc.) whose maj ...
size and importance in Western Europe. The club officials at that time wanted to entrench the club in its region, not only in the city but in a 1,000,000-inhabitants area where the club moved some facilities. This badge was marginally revised in 1997 but was replaced in 2002 with a more stylish one where the dog and the acronym are prominent. In 2012, the fleur-de-lys once again became a central element in the logo. The badge shape recalls the previous heraldry, and only the city and club name appear at the top of the logo like a crown. The latest crest, which was unveiled in 2018, uses every club symbol (the club initials, the mastiff, the fleur-de-lys and the three colours) inside a
regular pentagon In geometry, a pentagon (from the Greek πέντε ''pente'' meaning ''five'' and γωνία ''gonia'' meaning ''angle'') is any five-sided polygon or 5-gon. The sum of the internal angles in a simple pentagon is 540°. A pentagon may be simp ...
shape, form of the
Citadel of Lille The Citadel of Lille (french: Citadelle de Lille; nl, Citadel van Rijsel) is a pentagonal citadel of the city wall of Lille, in France. It was built between 1667 and 1670.Lille Office of Tourism"Monuments", retrieved 28 April 2013 It hosts t ...
's heart. Blason ville fr Lille (Nord).svg, 1944–1946 LOSC 1946-1955.svg, 1946–1955 LilleOSC5574.svg, 1955–1974 LilleOSC7481.svg, 1974–1981 LilleOSC8189.svg, 1981–1989 LilleOSC8997.svg, 1989–1997 LilleOSC9702.svg, 1997–2002 LilleOSC0212.svg, 2002–2012 LilleOSC1218.svg, 2012–2018 Lille OSC 2018 logo.svg, 2018– ;Notes


Kits and sponsors

Born from the union of two teams, Lille OSC embraced different shirts elements and symbols of both founding clubs. The first club's home kit was white and blue. The white jersey, with a large red "V" or
chevron Chevron (often relating to V-shaped patterns) may refer to: Science and technology * Chevron (aerospace), sawtooth patterns on some jet engines * Chevron (anatomy), a bone * ''Eulithis testata'', a moth * Chevron (geology), a fold in rock lay ...
form around the neck and red sleeve ends, is inspired by the
Olympique Lillois Olympique Lillois was a French association football club from the city of Lille. Founded in 1902 they merged with SC Fives in 1944 to form Lille OSC. Honours Championnat de France *Champion: 1914, 1933 *Runner-up: 1936 Trophée de France ...
home jersey while the "V" shape comes from
SC Fives SC Fives was a French association football club from Fives, a suburb in the east of Lille. Founded in 1901, the club merged with Olympique Lillois in 1944 to form Lille OSC. Honours Championnat de France *Runner-up : 1934 Coupe de France *Final ...
kits as well as the blue shorts and socks. White was the jersey primary color with little shades of red. The red chevron was part of each jersey until 1964 when it disappeared to give place to an immaculate white jersey that only kept red collar and sleeve ends. This jersey version, white with only few red shades around collar and sleeves, remains substantially the same for decades. In the 1990s, the different kit manufacturers successively added different red shapes around shoulders like a red
check pattern Check (also checker, Brit: chequer) is a pattern of modified stripes consisting of crossed horizontal and vertical lines which form squares. The pattern typically contains two colours where a single checker (that is a single square within the chec ...
, a large
Reebok Reebok International Limited () is an American fitness footwear and clothing manufacturer that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company ...
logo that lines the top of the shirt or a plain red pattern enabling the presence of a white chevron with red borders. The 1992-93 season marked the quick return of the red chevron. 1999 marked an significant moment in LOSC kits history. At the beginning of this season, the club chose to switch the principal colour of the kits. Home jerseys are now dominated by red, while away ones are white overall. The club exceptionally returns to a white home kit for the
2016–17 Ligue 1 The 2016–17 Ligue 1 season was the 79th season since its establishment. Paris Saint-Germain were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 1 June 2016. The season began on 12 August 2016 and ended on 20 May 2017. On 17 May 2017, ...
season in order to celebrate the
league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...
and
cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, c ...
double 70-year anniversary. Third kits are traditionally used for European games. Being initially blue in the early 2000s, third kits then used and incorporated
flag of Flanders The flag of Flanders, called the ''Vlaamse Leeuw'' ("Flemish Lion") or ''leeuwenvlag'' ("Lion flag"), is the flag of the Flemish Community and Flemish Region in Belgium. The flag was officially adopted by the Cultural Council for the Dutch Cultur ...
colours: black and yellow. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, the club released more than a dozen black or yellow third kits. Lille have known many
sporting goods manufacturers Sporting may refer to: * Sport, recreational games and play * Sporting (neighborhood), in Alexandria, Egypt Sports clubs * AC Sporting, a football club from Beirut, Lebanon * Alexandria Sporting Club, a sports club from Alexandria, Egypt *Real Spo ...
in its history. From its creation until the 1970s, Lille didn't have a proper kit supplier. The first club's kit manufacturer was
Le Coq Sportif Le Coq Sportif (, "the athletic rooster") is a france, French manufacturing company of sports equipment. Founded in 1882 by Émile Camuset and located in Entzheim, the company first issued items branded with its now-famous rooster trademark in 194 ...
which made Lille's first branded jerseys until 1975. In the 1980s, the club's supplier was Puma, one of the famous Lille's kit maker. Puma's sponsorship lasted for nine years, and the German brand shirts remain engraved in people's memories. After this period, many suppliers have come and gone including Lotto and Adidas for brief contracts.
Reebok Reebok International Limited () is an American fitness footwear and clothing manufacturer that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company ...
received the contract in 1996, stayed three seasons, before
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine given ...
started a first spell in 1999.
Decathlon The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word "decathlon" was formed, in analogy to the word "pentathlon", from Greek δέκα (''déka'', meaning "ten") and ἄθλος (''áthlos'', or ἄθ ...
's football brand Kipsta, which is based in Lille region,
Airness Airness is a footwear trademark founded in 1999 in Saint-Denis (France) by Malamine Koné. The logo includes the image of a black panther. Sponsorships Teams and athletes using Airness equipment are: Basketball Previous club teams * SLUC Nanc ...
and
Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...
, the rugby-specialized company, followed. In 2013,
Umbro Umbro is an English sports equipment manufacturer founded in 1924 in Wilmslow, Cheshire and based in Manchester. They specialise in football and rugby sportswear featuring their ''Double Diamond'' logo. Umbro products are marketed in over 10 ...
took over until Nike started a second spell in 2013 that lasted three years. On 22 June 2016, Lille announced a five-year partnership with
New Balance New Balance Athletics, Inc. (NB), best known as simply New Balance, is one of the world's major sports footwear and apparel manufacturers. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the multinational corporation was founded in 1906 as the New Balance Arch ...
, becoming one of the biggest football teams that have signed with the
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...
-based sportswear manufacturer. Partnership is renewed in 2021 on a new five-season contract until June 2026. The first main sponsors of the club were Jean Caby butchery that appeared two seasons in the front of the jersey, and
Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the Nord ...
-made Pel d'Or
lemonade Lemonade is a sweetened lemon-flavored beverage. There are varieties of lemonade found throughout the world. In North America and South Asia, cloudy still lemonade is the most common variety. There it is traditionally a homemade drink using le ...
, produced by the very famous
Pelforth Heineken N.V. is a Dutch brewer which owns a worldwide portfolio of over 170 beer brands, mainly pale lager, though some other beer styles are produced. The two largest brands are Heineken Pilsener, Heineken and Tecate (beer), Tecate; though t ...
brewery. One of the most iconic Lille sponsors is French nappy and baby products manufacturer Peaudouce that lasted more than ten years. Production factories were located in
Linselles Linselles (; nl, Linsele; pcd, Linséles) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is part of the Métropole Européenne de Lille. On 17 August 1793, during the War of the First Coalition, it was the site of the Battle of Lin ...
, in the Lille region and the nine red letters are now part of the identity of the club. However, Peaudouce was acquired by Sweden consumer products company SCA which decided to end the sponsorship. Foodservice company Eurest, banks
Crédit Agricole Crédit Agricole Group (), sometimes called La banque verte ( en, The green bank) due to its historical ties to farming, is a French international banking group and the world's largest cooperative financial institution. It is France's second lar ...
and
ING Direct The ING Group ( nl, ING Groep) is a Dutch multinational banking and financial services corporation headquartered in Amsterdam. Its primary businesses are retail banking, direct banking, commercial banking, investment banking, wholesale bankin ...
are famous main sponsors too, that lasted at least two seasons. Subsequently, the famous "P" of French
casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live enterta ...
and resort company Partouche appeared on Lille's jersey in 2003 for the first time. Based in the north of France, Partouche is Lille's most loyal sponsor: the brand logo was on the club's shirt during fourteen seasons. The most recent main sponsors are French consumer electronics retailer
Boulanger Boulanger () is a typical French language, French and Francophone surname, equivalent of the English language, English ''Baker'', the Italian language, Italian ''Panettiere'', etc. It is shared by several notable persons: *André Boulanger (1886� ...
and British online car retailer Cazoo. On 31 August 2022, Russian gambling company 1xBet signed a partnership deal to become their official regional partner in Middle East, North, and South Africa.


Grounds


Stadiums

After its foundation following the merging of
Olympique Lillois Olympique Lillois was a French association football club from the city of Lille. Founded in 1902 they merged with SC Fives in 1944 to form Lille OSC. Honours Championnat de France *Champion: 1914, 1933 *Runner-up: 1936 Trophée de France ...
and
SC Fives SC Fives was a French association football club from Fives, a suburb in the east of Lille. Founded in 1901, the club merged with Olympique Lillois in 1944 to form Lille OSC. Honours Championnat de France *Runner-up : 1934 Coupe de France *Final ...
, Lille alternately played its home games at the stadiums of both clubs: Stade Henri-Jooris of Olympique Lillois and Stade Jules-Lemaire of SC Fives. However, in 1949, the club chose to keep the first as his home ground and to use the second as a Training ground (association football), training ground. Becoming more and more obsolete, Stade Jules-Lemaire will be destroyed ten years later, in 1959. Named after Henri Jooris, the iconic president of Olympique Lillois, the 15,000-seat stadium, located by the Deûle river, near the
Citadel of Lille The Citadel of Lille (french: Citadelle de Lille; nl, Citadel van Rijsel) is a pentagonal citadel of the city wall of Lille, in France. It was built between 1667 and 1670.Lille Office of Tourism"Monuments", retrieved 28 April 2013 It hosts t ...
, was the home of Les Dogues until 1975 when Lille moved at
Stade Grimonprez-Jooris Stade Grimonprez-Jooris was a multi-purpose stadium in Lille, France, built in 1974. It was used mainly for football matches as it was home to the Lille OSC football club from 1975 until 2004, when the stadium was closed. The club originally pl ...
. Located inside the citadel park, not far from the former venue, the stadium's original capacity was 25,000 at the time it was opened, but this was reduced to around 17,000 by 2000 due to the evolution of safety standards. In 2000, the stadium was renovated and its capacity was increased to 21,000. However, it still failed to meet FIFA licensing regulations and plans to build a new stadium compliant with UEFA's standards were made in 2002, when the club was privatized. In June 2003, the club's board agreed to a new proposal put forward by the city mayor to build a new 33,000-seat stadium on the site of the Stade Grimonprez-Jooris. Preliminary works which included dismantling of training grounds were undertaken, and the delivery was scheduled for 31 December 2004 but was postponed. Construction work was then planned to begin in early 2005, but the project faced opposition from preservationists who successfully prevented the project to obtain necessary permits as the site of the stadium was close to the 17th-century citadel. In May 2004, the stadium closed its doors and the delays forced Lille to play its league matches at Stadium Nord Lille Métropole, a 18,000-seat stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, and their 2005–06 UEFA Champions League games at
Stade de France The Stade de France (, ) is the national stadium of France, located just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. Its seating capacity of 80,698 makes it the sixth-largest stadium in Europe. The stadium is used by the France national foot ...
in the Paris region. After two years of court battles, local courts had declared issued building permits void in July and December 2005, which meant that ''Grimonprez-Jooris II'' would never come into existence. Grimonprez-Jooris was demolished in 2010, six years after Lille OSC's departure. The club stayed at Stadium Lille Métropole until the end of the 2011-12 Ligue 1, 2011-12 Ligue 1 season. While LOSC was struggling with its venue problems, the administrative landscape of the Lille area changed. The new administration, now in charge of the whole area, decided to launch a new stadium project. On 1 February 2008, Eiffage was selected during a general meeting to build a 50,000-seat capacity multi-purpose stadium with a
retractable roof A retractable roof is a roof system designed to roll back the roof of a structure so that the interior of the facility is open to the outdoors. Retractable roofs are sometimes referred to as operable roofs or retractable skylights. The term op ...
. The stadium has also a particularity: it can become a fully functional arena of 30,000 seats that can host basketball, tennis or handball games as well as concerts.
Stade Pierre-Mauroy The Stade Pierre-Mauroy, also known as the Decathlon Arena – Stade Pierre-Mauroy for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-use retractable roof stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq (Métropole Européenne de Lille), France, that opened in August 2012. It has ...
, known for sponsorship reasons as Decathlon Arena – Stade Pierre-Mauroy since 2022, was inaugurated on 17 August 2012. Originally named the ''Grand Stade Lille Métropole'', the stadium was renamed in 2013 in honor of the former Mayor of Lille and former Prime Minister of France Pierre Mauroy. The stadium venue is located in Villeneuve-d'Ascq and has a seating capacity of 50,186 people, becoming France's fourth largest stadium. The stadium hosted France national football team and France national rugby union team as well as some games of UEFA Euro 2016 and many Top 14 matches. It has been chosen to be one of the nine venues selected for France's hosting of the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The 30,000-seat arena hosted EuroBasket 2015, Davis Cup, 2017 World Men's Handball Championship and will host handball and basketball tournaments at the 2024 Olympic Games. The record attendance for a sports game stands at 49,712 spectators, who witnessed Lille's 5–1 win over
Paris Saint-Germain Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As F ...
in 2019.


Training facilities

Located in Camphin-en-Pévèle, 15 minutes away from central Lille, the Domaine de Luchin has been the club's Training ground (association football), training ground since 2007. A 43-hectare estate, it houses nine full-size pitches (including one artificial turf pitch), one goalkeepers training field, the club headquarters, the academy facility, classrooms and bedrooms as well as a medical pole, a fitness centre, press areas and the famous ''Dogue de Bronze'', a bronze statue of a mastiff which has been installed in 2011 and appeared in many pictures and videos of the club. A stadium of 1,000 spectators, including 500 seats, can host matches for the academy teams and the women's team. A segment of the Berlin Wall, with a graffiti of
Eden Hazard Eden Michael Walter Hazard (born 7 January 1991) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for La Liga club Real Madrid. Known for his creativity, dribbling, passing and vision, Hazard is considered one ...
by French artist C215 (street artist), C215 painted on it, has been unveiled in 2016 and is on display inside the centre.


Club rivalries

The ''
Derby du Nord The Derby du Nord (, ''Northern Derby'') is a football rivalry contested between French clubs Lille OSC and RC Lens, two of the region's most successful clubs. Both clubs are located in northern France, though in different departments: Lille in ...
'' (
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...
for "The North Derby") is contested between Lille and RC Lens. The derby name refers only to their geographical location in France; both clubs and cities only being located in the northern part of France, within the
Hauts-de-France Hauts-de-France (; pcd, Heuts-d'Franche; , also ''Upper France'') is the northernmost region of France, created by the territorial reform of French regions in 2014, from a merger of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy. Its prefecture is Lille. The ...
region but not the same Departments of France, department. Being the fourth-largest city of the Pas-de-Calais department, Lens, Pas-de-Calais, Lens is located 30 kilometres south of regional prefecture and nerve centre
Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the Nord ...
, Nord (French department), Nord department main city. The name can also refer to matches involving Lille and Valenciennes FC, Valenciennes as both clubs are located within Nord, however, the match historically refers to matches involving Lille and Lens. As a result, the Lille–Valenciennes match is sometimes referred to as ''Le Petit Derby du Nord'' (French for "The Little North Derby"). The two clubs first met in 1937 when Lille were playing under the
Olympique Lillois Olympique Lillois was a French association football club from the city of Lille. Founded in 1902 they merged with SC Fives in 1944 to form Lille OSC. Honours Championnat de France *Champion: 1914, 1933 *Runner-up: 1936 Trophée de France ...
emblem. Due to each club's close proximity towards each other being separated by only and sociological differences between each club's supporters, a fierce rivalry developed. The North Derby is underpinned by social and economic differences, since the city of Lens is known as an old, working-class, industrial city and Lille as a middle-class, modern, internationally oriented one. This social class opposition is no longer relevant: both fanbases now come from lower and middle classes. As of 2022, the teams have played more than 115 matches in all competitions, Lille winning 45, Lens 37, and the remaining 34 having been drawn. Lille have won the most Ligue 1, top division titles, the most
Coupe de France The Coupe de France, formerly known as the Coupe Charles Simon, is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation (FFF). It was first held in 1917 and is open to all amateur and professio ...
trophies and
Trophée des Champions The Trophée des Champions (, ) is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the super cups found in many other countries. His ...
titles. The Mastiffs have also played more games in domestic and European top competitions and have more game wins in French top division than their nearby rivals.


Honours


Domestic


League

*French Division 1/
Ligue 1 Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. ...
**Winners (4): 1945–46 French Division 1, 1945–46, 1953–54, 2010–11 Ligue 1, 2010–11, 2020–21 Ligue 1, 2020–21 **''Runners-up (6): 1947–48 French Division 1, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1950–51, 2004–05 Ligue 1, 2004–05, 2018–19 Ligue 1, 2018–19'' *French Division 2 **Winners (4): 1963–64 French Division 2, 1963–64, 1973–74 Division 2, 1973–74, 1977–78 French Division 2, 1977–78, 1999–2000 French Division 2, 1999–2000


Cups

*
Coupe de France The Coupe de France, formerly known as the Coupe Charles Simon, is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation (FFF). It was first held in 1917 and is open to all amateur and professio ...
**Winners (6): 1946 Coupe de France Final, 1945–46, 1947 Coupe de France Final, 1946–47, 1948 Coupe de France Final, 1947–48, 1953 Coupe de France Final, 1952–53, 1955 Coupe de France Final, 1954–55, 2010–11 Coupe de France, 2010–11 **''Runners-up (2): 1945 Coupe de France Final, 1944–45, 1949 Coupe de France Final, 1948–49'' *Coupe de la Ligue **''Runners-up (1): 2015–16 Coupe de la Ligue, 2015–16'' *
Trophée des Champions The Trophée des Champions (, ) is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the super cups found in many other countries. His ...
**Winners (1): 2021 Trophée des Champions, 2021 **''Runners-up (2): 1955, 2011 Trophée des Champions, 2011'' *Coupe Charles Drago **''Runners-up (2): 1954, 1956''


Europe

*
UEFA Intertoto Cup The UEFA Intertoto Cup (from la, Inter, 'between' + german: toto, ' betting pool'),Most precisely, from ( football pool); cf. often abbreviated and more known in the German-speaking world as UI Cup and originally called the International F ...
**Winners (1):
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
**''Runners-up (1):
2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains independence from Indonesia and ...
'' *
Latin Cup The Latin Cup was an international football tournament for club sides from the Southwest European nations of France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. In 1949 the football federations came together and requested FIFA to launch the competition. Eur ...
**''Runners-up (1): 1951 Latin Cup, 1951''


Doubles

* French Division 1/
Ligue 1 Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. ...
and
Coupe de France The Coupe de France, formerly known as the Coupe Charles Simon, is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation (FFF). It was first held in 1917 and is open to all amateur and professio ...
(2): 1946 in association football, 1945–46, 2010–11 in French football, 2010–11


Results


Domestic results


Continental results


Players


First-team squad


Out on loan


Reserve team


Notable former players

Goalkeepers * :fr:Robert Germain (football), Robert Germain (1946–49) * César Ruminski (1952–55) * Jean Van Gool (1954–68) * Charles Samoy (1963–74) * Philippe Bergeroo (1978–83) * Bernard Lama (1981–89) * :fr:Jean-Claude Nadon, Jean-Claude Nadon (1989–96) * Grégory Wimbée (1998–2004) * Tony Sylva (2004–08) * Mickaël Landreau (2009–12) * Vincent Enyeama (2011–18) *
Mike Maignan Mike Peterson Maignan (born 3 July 1995) is a French professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club AC Milan and the France national team. Maignan came through the youth teams at Paris Saint-Germain, he was an unused substitute ...
(2015–21) Defenders * Joseph Jadrejak (1944–50) * :fr:Jean-Marie Prévost, Jean-Marie Prévost (1945–52) * Marceau Somerlinck (1945–57) * :fr:Jacques Van Cappelen, Jacques Van Cappelen (1949–55) * Cor van der Hart (1950–54) * Guillaume Bieganski (1953–56) * Robert Lemaître (1951–59) * Antoine Pazur (1952–60) * :fr:Bernard Stakowiak, Bernard Stakowiak (1958–69) * :fr:Claude Andrien, Claude Andrien (1962–69) * :fr:Marcel Adamczyk, Marcel Adamczyk (1963–68) * :fr:Jean-Luc Buisine, Jean-Luc Buisine (1962–69) * Ignacio Prieto (1971–76) * Pierre Dréossi (1976–82) * René Marsiglia (1978–83) * :fr:Éric Péan, Éric Péan (1981–87) * Noureddine Kourichi (1982–86) * Boro Primorac (1983–86) * :fr:Éric Prissette, Éric Prissette (1983–90) * :fr:Dominique Thomas (football), Dominique Thomas (1983–88, 89–93) * Jocelyn Angloma (1987–90) * Jakob Friis-Hansen (1989–95) * Fabien Leclercq (1989–99) * Pascal Cygan (1995–2002) * Grégory Tafforeau (2001–09) * Eric Abidal (2002–04) * Matthieu Chalmé (2002–07) *
Mathieu Debuchy Mathieu Debuchy (born 28 July 1985) is a French professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Ligue 2 club Valenciennes. Debuchy started his senior career at Lille, where he won a Ligue 1 and Coupe de France double in the 2010–11 sea ...
(2003–13) * Nicolas Plestan (2003–10) * Stathis Tavlaridis (2004–07) * Stephan Lichtsteiner (2005–08) * Emerson (footballer, born February 1986), Emerson (2006–11) * Adil Rami (2006–11) * Franck Béria (2007–17) * Aurélien Chedjou (2007–13) * David Rozehnal (2010–15) * Pape Souaré (2010–15) * Marko Baša (2011–17) * Lucas Digne (2011–13) * Djibril Sidibé (footballer, born 1992), Djibril Sidibé (2012–16) * Simon Kjær (2013–15) * Adama Soumaoro (2013–21) * Sébastien Corchia (2014–17) * Benjamin Pavard (2015–16) * Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel (2017–20) *
Zeki Çelik Mehmet Zeki Çelik (born 17 February 1997) is a Turkish professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Serie A club Roma and the Turkey national team. Club career Bursaspor Born in Bursa as the youngest of nine children, Çelik went thro ...
(2018–22) * Reinildo Mandava (2018–22) *
Sven Botman Sven Adriaan Botman (born 12 January 2000) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for club Newcastle United. He has represented the Netherlands at youth levels under-15 through under-21. Club career Ajax On 23 June 2018, ...
(2020–22) Midfielders * Jules Bigot (1944–50) * François Bourbotte (1944–47) * :fr:Roger Carré, Roger Carré (1944–50) * :fr:Albert Dubreucq, Albert Dubreucq (1945–53) * Roland Clauws (1953–60, 62–64) * Alain de Martigny (1970–76) * :fr:Alain Verhoeve, Alain Verhoeve (1970–74) * Alberto Fouillioux (1972–75) * :fr:Serge Besnard, Serge Besnard (1975–79) * Alain Grumelon (1976–83) * Arnaud Dos Santos (1977–81) * :fr:Stéphane Plancque, Stéphane Plancque (1977–87) * :fr:Didier Simon, Didier Simon (1977–82) * Pascal Plancque (1980–87) * Philippe Périlleux (1984–91, 95–96) * Alain Fiard (1987–93) * Victor Da Silva (footballer, born 1962), Victor Da Silva (1988–92) * Arnaud Duncker (1994–98) * Patrick Collot (1995–2002) * Christophe Landrin (1996–2005) * Bruno Cheyrou (1998–2002) * Benoît Cheyrou (1999–2004) * Fernando D'Amico (1999–2003) * Sylvain N'Diaye (2000–03) * Jean Makoun (2001–08) * Philippe Brunel (2002–05) * Mathieu Bodmer (2003–07) * Stéphane Dumont (2003–11) * Milenko Ačimovič (2004–06) *
Yohan Cabaye Yohan Cabaye (; born 14 January 1986) is a French former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Cabaye began his football career playing for hometown club US Tourcoing at the age of six. After seven years developing in the club's ...
(2004–11) * Florent Balmont (2008–16) * Rio Mavuba (2008–17) * Idrissa Gueye (2010–15) * Joe Cole (2011–12) * Dimitri Payet (2011–13) * Benoît Pedretti (2011–13) * Rony Lopes (2014–15, 16–17) * Yves Bissouma (2016–18) * Thiago Mendes (2017–19) * Boubakary Soumaré (2017–21) *
Xeka Miguel Ângelo da Silva Rocha (born 10 November 1994), known as Xeka (), is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder. Formed at Braga, he spent most of his career in France, playing for Lille, Dijon and Rennes in Ligue 1 a ...
(2017–22) *
Renato Sanches Renato Júnior Luz Sanches (; born 18 August 1997) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Portugal national team. Sanches began his career at Benfica, making his profes ...
(2019–22) * Amadou Onana (2021–22) Forwards * Jean Baratte (1944–53, 56–57) * René Bihel (1944–46) * Jean Lechantre (1944–52) * :fr:Roger Vandooren, Roger Vandooren (1944–50) * :fr:Bolek Tempowski, Bolek Tempowski (1945–51) * Marius Walter (1945–52) * André Strappe (1948–58) * Bernard Lefèvre (1949–56, 62–63) * Erik Kuld Jensen (1950–53) * Jean Vincent (1950–56) * Gérard Bourbotte (1952–58, 63–68) * Yvon Douis (1953–59) * :fr:Fernand Devlaminck, Fernand Devlaminck (1956–59) * François Heutte (1957–59, 65–66) * :fr:René Fatoux, René Fatoux (1957–62) * André Guy (1965–67) * Christian Coste (1973–77) * Stanislav Karasi (1974–77) * Žarko Olarević (1977–81) * Pierre Pleimelding (1977–81) * Dušan Savić (1983–85) * Erwin Vandenbergh (1986–90) * Abedi Pele (1988–90) * Per Frandsen (1990–94) * Éric Assadourian (1990–95) * Antoine Sibierski (1992–96) * Kennet Andersson (1993–94) * Djézon Boutoille (1993–2004) * Matt Moussilou (2001–06) * Nicolas Fauvergue (2003–11) * Kevin Mirallas (2004–08) * Peter Odemwingie (2004–07) * Abdul Kader Keïta, Kader Keïta (2005–07) * Michel Bastos (2006–09) *
Eden Hazard Eden Michael Walter Hazard (born 7 January 1991) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for La Liga club Real Madrid. Known for his creativity, dribbling, passing and vision, Hazard is considered one ...
(2007–12) * Patrick Kluivert (2007–08) * Ludovic Obraniak (2007–12) * Túlio de Melo (2008–14) * Pierre-Alain Frau (2008–11) * Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2009–10) * Gervinho (2009–11) * Moussa Sow (2010–12) * Salomon Kalou (2012–14) * Divock Origi (2012–15) * Nolan Roux (2012–15) * Sofiane Boufal (2015–16) * Eder (footballer, born 1987), Eder (2016–18) * Martin Terrier (2016–18) * Luiz Araújo (footballer), Luiz Araújo (2017–21) * Lebo Mothiba (2017–18) *
Nicolas Pépé Nicolas Pépé (born 29 May 1995) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for club Nice, on loan from Arsenal of the . Born in France, he represents the Ivory Coast national team. Pépé began his senior club career with Poitiers ...
(2017–19) *
Jonathan Ikoné Nanitamo Jonathan Ikoné (born 2 May 1998) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Serie A club Fiorentina and the France national team. Club career Paris Saint-Germain Ikone made his professional debut on 28 September 2 ...
(2018–22) *
Rafael Leão Rafael Alexandre da Conceição Leão (; born 10 June 1999) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward for club AC Milan and the Portugal national team. Graduating from Sporting CP youth system, Leão made his first-team d ...
(2018–19) *
Loïc Rémy Loïc Alex Teliére Hubert Rémy (born 2 January 1987) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Brest. Rémy began his career playing for a local youth club in his home city of Lyon, before joining the bigge ...
(2018–20) *
Victor Osimhen Victor James Osimhen (born 29 December 1998) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Napoli and the Nigeria national team. Born in Nigeria, Osimhen began his senior career in Germany at VfL Wolfsburg in 2017. Fo ...
(2019–20) *
Burak Yılmaz Burak Yılmaz (born 15 July 1985) is a Turkish professional footballer who plays as a forward for Eredivisie club Fortuna Sittard. Yılmaz is one of nine players to play for each of the Big Three clubs of Turkey, and one of only two players ...
(2020–22)


Notable past line-ups


Club officials

* Owner of Lille Olympique Sporting Club – LOSC Lille: Merlyn Partners SCSp


Board of directors


Coaching and medical staff


Coaching history

Former coaches include Georges Heylens (1984–89), a former Belgium national football team, Belgian international player, Jacques Santini (1989–92), who coached the France national football team, France national team between 2002 and 2004, Bruno Metsu (1992–93), who coached the Senegal national football team, Senegal national team at the 2002 World Cup, Pierre Mankowski (1993–94), who was formerly the assistant coach of the France national team and
Vahid Halilhodžić Vahid Halilhodžić (; born 15 October 1952) is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. He is regarded as one of the most controversially successful Bosnian football managers, due to his successful tenure in coaching various n ...
(1998–02), who can be credited with the club's revival in the late nineties.
Rudi Garcia Rudi José Garcia (; ; born 20 February 1964) is a French professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Saudi Professional League club Al Nassr. Early life Rudi Garcia's father, José, was a Spanish expatriate who playe ...
, who played for Lille from 1980 to 1988, replaced
Claude Puel Claude Jacques Puel (; born 2 September 1961) is a French Association football, football manager and former Football player, player. He spent his entire playing career with AS Monaco FC, Monaco, before becoming manager of the club, leading them ...
at the beginning of the 2008 season. Puel had been with Lille since 2002. Thanks to his successes with the club, Puel had been approached by Portuguese club FC Porto, Porto to replace José Mourinho-Arsène Wenger rivalry, José Mourinho and league rivals Lyon to replace Alain Perrin; he finally decided to join Lyon after six seasons at the club.
Christophe Galtier Christophe Galtier (born 23 August 1966) is a French professional football coach and former player who is the head coach of Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain. A defender, Galtier was a journeyman professional who spent many of his 15 years as a ...
(2017–21) won
Ligue 1 Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. ...
in 2020–21 Ligue 1, 2021 and was replaced by Jocelyn Gourvennec (2021-22) who won the 2021 Trophée des Champions.


Records and statistics


Managerial records


Winning head coaches


Players records


Most appearances


Top scorers


Transfers records


Highest transfer fees paid

;Notes


Highest transfer fees received

;Notes


See also

* Lille OSC in European football * List of football clubs in France * Football records and statistics in France


References


External links

*
Lille Olympique Sporting Club – Ligue 1

Lille Olympique Sporting Club – UEFA.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lille OSC Lille OSC, Sport in Lille Villeneuve-d'Ascq Association football clubs established in 1944 1944 establishments in France UEFA Intertoto Cup winning clubs Football clubs in France Football clubs in Hauts-de-France