Gazélec Ajaccio
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 11/2015
Full name
Gazélec Football Club Ajaccio
Nicknames
Le Gaz, Le Bistrot
Founded
1910
Ground
Stade Ange Casanova
Ajaccio (Corse-du-Sud)
Capacity
8,000
President
Olivier Miniconi
Coach
Thierry Laurey
League
Ligue 1
2014-15
Ligue 2, 2nd (promoted)
Gazélec Football Club Ajaccio, sometimes called GFC Ajaccio, is a French football club from Ajaccio, Corsica. Founded in 1910, Gazélec play in Ligue 1, the top tier of football in France.
History
They are best known for reaching the semi-finals of the 2011-12 Coupe de France, in which they hosted later home games at the larger Stade François Coty, home of AC Ajaccio.
On 15 May 2015, Gazélec were promoted to Ligue 1 for the first time in the club's history, following a 3:2 win over Niort with two goals by John Tshibumbu.
It was their second consecutive promotion and fourth in five years.
Their Stade Ange Casanova will double in size to hold 5,000 in Ligue 1.
Honours
• French Amateur Champions: 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968.
• Corsican Champions: 1937, 1938, 1956, 1957, 1961.
• CFA Champions: 2003, 2011
Rivalries
The club has rivalries with the other two Corsican professional clubs: SC Bastia and AC Ajaccio with whom Gazélec contests the Ajaccio Derby. For many years Gazélec played in a lower division than their city rivals.
Players
The 45-year-old succeeds his compatriot Patrice Neveu, who was sacked in August after the team exited qualifying for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
Frenchman Troussier, 59, is a former coach of the Japan and Ivory Coast national teams.
Ivory Coast international midfielder Max Gradel has signed a new contract with French club Saint Etienne.
Cameroon international Clinton N'Jie signed a contract extension with French Ligue 1 side Lyon and then scored his first goal for the club.
Barrada started his career at Paris Saint-Germain before making his name in Spain with Getafe. The 25-year-old scored 15 goals in 34 appearances for Al Jazira last season.
The 24-year-old Senegal international has moved to Upton Park after agreeing a four-year contract. His 43 goals over the last two seasons helped Metz win back-to-back promotions into France's Ligue 1.
Frenchman Herve Renard has been appointed coach of Ivory Coast. The 45-year-old had two spells as Zambia coach and led them to the Africa Cup of Nations title in 2012.
The 21-year-old right-back played in all of his country's matches at the World Cup in Brazil.
QUARTER-FINALS
4th July 2014
France vs Germany 0:1
He has been named French Player of the Year twice for his performances in 2011 and 2012. Benzema is a former French youth international and has represented his nation from under-17 level onwards.
Benzema has earned over 65 caps and represented France at three major international tournaments; the 2008 and 2012 editions of the UEFA European Football Championship and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
