Le Mans

Created in 1985 as Le Mans Union Club 72 by the merger of Union Sportive du Mans, the city's historic club then in the fourth division, with the smaller but fast-rising Stade Olympique du Maine. It has never won a major honour but reached the Coupe de France semi-final in 1999 and three Coupe de la Ligue semi-finals between 2006 and 2008, and played six seasons in Ligue 1 from 2003. Relegated and unable to avoid judicial liquidation in 2013, it was demoted by the financial regulator to the regional Division d'Honneur and rebuilt from there; since 2011 it has played at the MMArena, renamed Stade Marie-Marvingt in 2022.