AS Monaco FC
Template:Short description Template:Hatnote Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox football club
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club, commonly referred to as AS Monaco<ref>abbreviated as ASM or Monaco.</ref> (Template:IPA), is a professional football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. Although not in France, they are a member of the French Football Federation (FFF) and currently compete in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football. Founded in 1918, the team play their home matches at the Stade Louis II.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Their training center is situated in France, in la Turbie.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Despite not being a French club, Monaco are one of the most successful clubs in French football, having won eight league titles,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> five Coupe de France trophies and one Coupe de la Ligue.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The club also played in European football a number of times, and were runners-up in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1992<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and the UEFA Champions League in 2004.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The club's traditional colours are red and white, and the club is known as Les Rouge et Blanc (Template:Lit).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Monaco is a member of the European Club Association. Since December 2011, the club has been majority-owned by the Russian oligarch and billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev.<ref name=BBC>Template:Cite news</ref>
International status
Unlike several other European microstates, Monaco has never organized a domestic league and has never sought separate membership in either UEFA or FIFA. Therefore, AS Monaco became a full member of the French league system, enabling it to represent France in European club competitions. There are several other expatriated football clubs in operation around Europe (such as FC Vaduz of Liechtenstein), but AS Monaco is unique in that it represents a nation not a member of international organizations.
In 2013, the French Football Professional League (LFP) amended its rules to include the obligation for a club competing in French professional leagues to have its registered office in France. In 2015, the French Council of State ruled in favour of AS Monaco, allowing the club to keep its registered office in the principality.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As a result, football players in Monaco continue to enjoy lower social security contributions (35-40% of an employee’s gross salary compared to the 55-60% of French clubs) and non-French players do not pay income tax in Monaco.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This endows AS Monaco with an advantage in terms of signing world-class players.
History
Early history
AS Monaco FC was founded on 1 August 1920 through the unification of numerous local clubs based in France and the principality. On 23 August 1924, the multiple sports club of the Association Sportive de Monaco was founded.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> AS Monaco FC was then absorbed by the latter and became the football section of the enlarged Monegasque sporting club.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Monaco played its matches on a football pitch located in the Fontvieille ward, on the site of the former Stade Louis II. Sometimes also played its home games in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France (which borders on Monaco) or on its opponent's pitch.
The club's early years were spent in the amateur regional divisions of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, rising rapidly between the leagues in the 1920s. In 1929 moved to newly built Stade des Moneghetti, located in the French commune of Beausoleil and next to the border of the Les Moneghetti ward.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It became the team's first stadium and remained there until 1939.
In 1933, Monaco were invited by the French Football Federation to turn professional. The Monégasques' first year of second-division football ended in failure, however, as they were relegated to the amateur leagues the following year. In 1939 the club moved to the Stade Louis II.
By 1948, Monaco re-acquired its professional status and returned to the French second division; they subsequently consistently finished in its upper echelons, with this sustained effort resulting in promotion to the French first division for the first time in 1953.
1960–1986: Domestic successes
In 1960, Monaco coach Lucien Leduc led the club to its first professional trophy, the Coupe de France, beating Saint-Étienne 4–2 in extra time. This initial success was bettered in the following year with the club winning the French Championship for the first time in its history, qualifying for the European Cup. Leduc subsequently led the club to its first League and Cup Double in 1963. Upon Leduc's departure in 1963, Monaco endured a barren run, entrenched in the middle half of the league for the best part of the next decade and alternating between the first and second divisions after 1963. In 1975, Jean-Louis Campora, son of former president Charles Campora, became chairman of the club. In his second season, he brought back Leduc, who immediately won the club promotion to the first division and won them the championship the following year in 1978.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Leduc subsequently left the club again in 1979, to be succeeded by Lucien Muller and Gérard Banide, both of whom were unable to halt the club's decline.
The early 1980s saw a steady stream of successes in national competitions. Monaco won a title almost every other year; the Coupe de France in 1980 and 1985, the French Championship in 1982, was Coupe de France finalist in 1984. In the 1985–86 season, Monaco hammered Bordeaux 9–0, one of the biggest wins in club history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Disappointingly for Monaco fans, the club could not translate its domestic leadership into European success. Up to this point, Monaco had never passed the first round of any European competition. Monaco lost to Dundee United (1981), CSKA Sofia twice (1982 and 1984) and Universitatea Craiova (1985).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1990s: Wenger and Tigana
In 1986, former Ajax manager Ștefan Kovács, who succeeded Rinus Michels and honed his Total Football ideals with the Dutch champions, came out of a three-year "retirement" to manage Monaco, but even he could not bring them success. With the club facing a second barren spell, they signed Arsène Wenger, who had hitherto been relatively unknown, managing Nancy without much success. Wenger's reign saw the club enjoy one of its most successful periods, with several inspired signings, including George Weah, Glenn Hoddle, Jürgen Klinsmann, and Youri Djorkaeff. Youth team policies produced future World Cup winners Emmanuel Petit, Lilian Thuram and Thierry Henry. Under Wenger, they won the league in his first season in charge (1988) and the Coupe de France in 1991, with the club consistently competing in the latter stages of the European Cup and regularly challenging for the league title.<ref name="rees-guardian">Template:Cite news</ref> The club could have had even greater success in this period, as it emerged in 1993 that bitter rivals Marseille had indulged in match-fixing and numerous improprieties, a view that Wenger had long held.<ref name="rees-guardian"/> In 1994, after being blocked by the Monaco board from opening discussions with German powerhouse Bayern Munich for their vacant managerial post after being shortlisted for the role, Wenger was released from the club, several weeks after the post had already been filled.<ref name="rees-guardian"/><ref>Arsène Wenger The Biography by Xavier Rivoire</ref>
After Wenger's departure, the club went on to record two further league championships; under Jean Tigana in 1997 and under Claude Puel in 2000. However, as the decade came to an end, rumours were surfacing that the club was facing numerous financial difficulties. In 2003, these financial problems came to a head. Despite finishing second in the league, the club was relegated to Ligue 2 by the French Professional League for amassing a €50 million ($68 million) debt.<ref name="SI-Lyttleton">Template:Cite web</ref> Whilst this was reduced on appeal to a ban on purchasing players, it was enough to force President Jean-Louis Campora, who had been in charge for 28 years, to step aside. He was replaced by Pierre Svara, an administrator considered to be close to the principality's princely family but with no footballing experience.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The following season saw remarkable success on the field, given the club's financial strife. The team, coached by former France/ national team captain Didier Deschamps and featuring stalwarts such as Fernando Morientes, Ludovic Giuly, Jérôme Rothen and Dado Pršo, finished third in Ligue 1 and enjoyed a remarkable run to the final of the UEFA Champions League, beating Real Madrid and Chelsea along the way. However, despite the on-field success, the 2003–04 season was the club's worst financial year in its history. Within 12 months, Deschamps had left as coach and Svara had been replaced by Michel Pastor.<ref name="SI-Lyttleton" />
Relegation and takeover
With Francesco Guidolin hired to replace Deschamps, one of Pastor's first tasks was to hold on to the players who had turned the club into one of the best in Europe. However, he failed to convince them to stay and their replacements were unable to replicate previous successes. Guidolin lasted only one year, before being replaced by assistant coach Laurent Banide who, in turn, only lasted a year, before being replaced by Brazilian Ricardo Gomes. In 2008, after four years at the club featuring six coaches and only mid-table finishes, Pastor left the club amid severe criticism of his management skills.
In 2008, Jérôme de Bontin, a leading shareholder of the club since 2003, took charge of the club, promising a complete shake-up. Under his reign as president, the club brought in players such as Park Chu-young and Freddy Adu, but they did not find much success on the pitch, going through a torrid season and only managing a mid-table finish. De Bontin resigned at the end of the season, replaced by banker Étienne Franzi and a new board of directors.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In July 2009 Ricardo Gomes was replaced by former Cannes and Rennes coach Guy Lacombe, inheriting a youthful squad featuring numerous highly lauded youth team prospects, including Cédric Mongongu, Serge Gakpé, Vincent Muratori, Frédéric Nimani, Nicolas N'Koulou, Park Chu-young, Yohan Mollo and Yohann Thuram-Ulien.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lacombe led Monaco to eighth place in Ligue 1 in his first season in charge, but he was unable to replicate this performance in his second season and was sacked in January 2011, with Monaco in 17th place in Ligue 1. He was replaced by former coach Laurent Banide, who was unable to turn around the club's fortunes; Monaco finished the 2010–11 season in 18th, thus becoming relegated to Ligue 2.
In December 2011, 66.67% of the club was sold to the Russian oligarch and billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev (via a trust under his daughter Ekaterina's name) while the club were bottom of Ligue 2.<ref name=BBC/> Banide was sacked due to this poor start to the 2011–12 season, and was replaced by Italian manager Marco Simone. Although he lifted the club to eighth by the end of the season, the club's board targeted promotion for the upcoming season and so fired him and appointed his compatriot Claudio Ranieri, whose attacking style of football saw the club score 64 goals in the 2012–13 season. With the club only losing four times, Monaco finished the season as champions, earning promotion back to Ligue 1. Using Rybolovlev's funds, Monaco were one of the biggest spenders in Europe in 2013, spending roughly £140 million, including a club-record £50 million for Radamel Falcao from Atlético Madrid and £40 million for James Rodríguez from FC Porto.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Monaco finished in 2nd place in Ligue 1 in the 2013–14 season and Ranieri was replaced by Leonardo Jardim. The following season, Monaco cut expenses, selling Rodriguez to Real Madrid for €75m and loaning Falcao to Manchester United. Despite the high-profile departures, Monaco finished in 3rd place in Ligue 1 and made it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, defeating Arsenal in the Round of 16 before exiting at the hands of Juventus. Top-scorer from the 2013–14 season was Anthony Martial, who managed 12 goals in all competitions, departing for Manchester United in the summer for a fee of €60m, the highest fee paid for a teenager in football history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This, combined with the sales of Geoffrey Kondogbia, Layvin Kurzawa, Yannick Carrasco, Aymen Abdennour, Lucas Ocampos and others, saw the Monegasque club earn over €180m in the transfer window.
Ligue 1 triumph and aftermath (2016–present)
Monaco won the Ligue 1 title on 17 May 2017, defeating AS Saint-Étienne 2–0.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Radamel Falcao and Kylian Mbappé scored 30 and 26 goals respectively to ensure a first Ligue 1 title in 17 years. Monaco went undefeated for the last 20 games of the season, winning 18 of those 20 games.
In the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League, Monaco staged a comeback in the Round of 16, losing the first leg 5–3 to Manchester City<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> before beating the English side 3–1 at home to win on away goals. Monaco then defeated Borussia Dortmund 6–3 on aggregate before going down 4–1 over two legs to Juventus. In the summer, Kylian Mbappé went to rivals PSG on loan, with the obligation to buy for a fee of €180m,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> making it the second-highest transfer fee in history after Neymar. Teammates Bernardo Silva and Benjamin Mendy were sold to Manchester City for over €100m combined and Tiémoué Bakayoko was sold to Chelsea for €40 million. Monaco managed to finish 2nd in the 2017–18 Ligue 1, 13 points behind league winners PSG. In the summer of 2018, Fabinho was sold to Liverpool for €42 million.
Jardim was replaced as coach by Thierry Henry in October 2018 after a poor start to the season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Henry was suspended from his job in January,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Jardim returned days later.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Monaco finished the season in 17th, avoiding relegation playoffs by 2 points.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In December 2019 Jardim was fired for the second time in 14 months,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and former Spain manager Robert Moreno was appointed in his place.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2019–20, the COVID-19 pandemic suspended and then curtailed the football season. Monaco ended the season in 9th. Moreno was sacked in July, and replaced by former Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovač, who finished the following season in third position with 78 points and winning 24 matches from 38 (63%). Kovač left at the start of the year 2022,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> being replaced by Philippe Clement.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During Clement's tenure spanning two seasons, the club fell short of securing a spot in the Champions League group stages, instead they found themselves competing in the Europa League, where they participated in the initial knockout rounds. In addition, they were unable to secure European football in his last season with a 6th-placed finish.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On 4 July 2023, Monaco appointed Adi Hütter who signed a two-year deal with the club.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In his first season at the helm, he guided the club to a runner-up finish in the 2023–24 season, and qualification to the Champions League group stage for the first time since 2018–19.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Adi Huetter was replaced by Sébastien Pocognoli on 11 October 2025.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Stadium
Monaco played at the original Stade Louis II since its construction in 1939. In 1985, the stadium was replaced with the current iteration, built on a nearby site consisting of land reclaimed from the Mediterranean, which has become a recurring feature of the stadium's seaside surroundings. The stadium is named after the former Prince of Monaco Louis II and houses a total of 18,523 supporters.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Stade Louis II is noted for its nine iconic arches and has hosted numerous athletic events and European Cup finals. Every August from 1998 to 2012, it hosted each instance of the annual UEFA Super Cup, but from 2013 onward, UEFA decided to rotate the event throughout various stadiums.
Youth academy
Players
Current squad
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Out on loan
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Monaco B and Youth Sector
Template:Further Template:Updated<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Fs start Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs mid Template:Fs player Template:Fs player Template:Fs end
Club officials
Template:Col-begin Template:Col-4
Board of directors
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Owners | Template:Flagicon Monaco Sport Investment Ltd (66.67%) Template:Flagicon House of Grimaldi (33.33%) |
| President | Template:Flagicon Dmitry Rybolovlev |
| Vice presidents | Template:Flagicon Juan Sartori Template:Flagicon Ekaterina Rybolovleva |
| CEO | Template:Flagicon Thiago Scuro |
| Deputy CEO | Template:Flagicon Olga Dementeva |
| President of the Association | Template:Flagicon Michel Aubery |
| Technical Director | Template:Flagicon Carlos Aviña |
| Performance Director | Template:Flagicon Yann Le Meur |
| Director of youth development | Template:Flagicon Pascal De Maesschalk |
| Academy Director | Template:Flagicon Sébastien Muet |
| Head of Athletic development | Template:Flagicon Bruno Marrier |
| Head of Medical | Template:Flagicon Alexandre Creuze |
| Sports Scientist | Template:Flagicon Peio Komino |
| Performance Psychologist | Template:Flagicon Makis Chamalidis |
| Scouting Coordinator | Template:Flagicon Kamel Chniba |
| Head of Technology and Sports Knowledge | Template:Flagicon Vignesh Jayanth |
| Recruitment analyst | Template:Flagicon Maxime Verlinde |
| Marketing and Revenue Director | Template:Flagicon Thibaut Chatelard |
| Organization, safety and security | Template:Flagicon Antoine Vion |
| Head of communications | Template:Flagicon Julien Crevelier |
| Team Manager | Template:Flagicon Florent Barral |
- Last updated: 2 January 2025
- Source:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Current technical staff
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Template:Flagicon Sebastien Pocognoli |
| Assistant coaches | Template:Flagicon Artur Kopyt Template:Flagicon Kevin Mirallas |
| Goalkeeping coach | Template:Flagicon Frederic De Boever |
| Fitness coaches | Template:Flagicon Sandy Guichard Template:Flagicon Steeven Mandin |
| Chief analyst | Template:Flagicon Antony Santiago |
| Video analysts | Template:Flagicon Antoine Taiana Template:Flagicon Pierre Amitrano |
| Club Doctor | Template:Flagicon Alexandre Creuze |
| Medical assistant | Template:Flagicon Anna Reumont |
| Rehab coach | Template:Flagicon Jérôme Palestri |
| Osteopath | Template:Flagicon Éric Deroover |
| Physiotherapists | Template:Flagicon François Ducourant Template:Flagicon Jerko Mikulić Template:Flagicon Sophia Nigi Template:Flagicon Fabio Martins Template:Flagicon Florent Danieli |
| Podiatrist | Template:Flagicon Émilie Behnam |
| Nutritionist | Template:Flagicon Raphaël Tourraton |
| Psychologist | Template:Flagicon Émilie Thienot |
| Storemen | Template:Flagicon David Dejoie Template:Flagicon Achmed Achouch Template:Flagicon Paul Dupont |
- Last updated: 2 January 2025
- Source:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Presidential history
| Name | Period |
|---|---|
| 1948–1951 | Template:Flagicon Étienne Boéri |
| 1952–1953 | Template:Flagicon Roger-Félix Médecin |
| 1954 | Template:Flagicon Joseph Fissore |
| 1955 | Template:Flagicon Charles Campora |
| 1956–1957 | Template:Flagicon Roger-Félix Médecin |
| 1958–1959 | Template:Flagicon Charles Campora |
| 1960–1963 | Template:Flagicon Antoine Romagnan |
| 1964–1968 | Template:Flagicon Max Principale |
| 1969 | Template:Flagicon Edmond Aubert |
| 1970–1972 | Template:Flagicon Henry Rey |
| 1973–1974 | Template:Flagicon Henri Orengo |
| 1975 | Template:Flagicon Henri Corvetto |
| 1976–2003 | Template:Flagicon Jean-Louis Campora |
| 2003–2004 | Template:Flagicon Pierre Svara |
| 2004–2008 | Template:Flagicon Michel Pastor |
| 2008–2009 | Template:Flagicon Jérôme de Bontin |
| 2009–2011 | Template:Flagicon Étienne Franzi |
| 2011– | Template:Flagicon Dmitry Rybolovlev |
Coaching history
Honours
Domestic competitions
- Ligue 1
- Ligue 2
- Championnat de France Amateur
- Winners (3): 1963–64, 1970–71, 2007–08
- Coupe de France
- Coupe de la Ligue
- Trophée des Champions
- Coupe Charles Drago
- Winners: 1961
European
- European Cup Winners' Cup
- Runners-up (1): 1991–92
- UEFA Champions League
- Runners-up (1): 2003–04
Pre Season Tournament
- Joan Gamper Cup
- Winners (1): 2024
- Mohammed V Cup
- Winners (1): 1988
UEFA club coefficient ranking
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 63 | Template:Flagicon Galatasaray | 25.500 |
| 64 | Template:Flagicon LASK | 25.000 |
| 65 | Template:Flagicon Monaco | 24.000 |
| 66 | Template:Flagicon Midtjylland | 23.500 |
| 67 | Template:Flagicon Union Berlin | 23.000 |
Player records
Bold indicates players who play still at the club. Template:Updated
Most appearances
- Competitive, professional matches only.
| # | Name | Years | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Template:Flagicon Jean-Luc Ettori | 1975–1994 | 755 |
| 2 | Template:Flagicon Claude Puel | 1979–1996 | 602 |
| 3 | Template:Flagicon Jean Petit | 1969–1982 | 428 |
| 4 | Template:Flagicon Manuel Amoros | 1980–1989 | 349 |
| 5 | Template:Flagicon Christian Dalger | 1971–1980 | 334 |
| 6 | Template:Flagicon Marcel Dib | 1985–1993 | 326 |
| 7 | Template:Flagicon François Ludo | 1953–1962 | 319 |
| 8 | Template:Flagicon Luc Sonor | 1986–1995 | 315 |
| 9 | Template:Flagicon Michel Hidalgo | 1957–1966 | 304 |
| 10 | Template:Flagicon Armand Forchério | 1961–1972 | 303 |
Top goalscorers
- Competitive, professional matches only.
| # | Name | Years | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Template:Flagicon Template:Flagicon Delio Onnis | 1973–1980 | 223 |
| 2 | Template:Flagicon Wissam Ben Yedder | 2019–2024 | 118 |
| 3 | Template:Flagicon Lucien Cossou | 1959–1965 | 115 |
| 4 | Template:Flagicon Christian Dalger | 1971–1980 | 89 |
| 5 | Template:Flagicon Radamel Falcao | 2013–2019 | 83 |
| 6 | Template:Flagicon Jean Petit | 1969–1982 | 78 |
| 7 | Template:Flagicon Victor Ikpeba | 1993–1999 | 77 |
| 8 | Template:Flagicon Yvon Douis | 1961–1967 | 74 |
| 9 | Template:Flagicon Youri Djorkaeff | 1990–1995 | 68 |
| 10 | Template:Flagicon Sonny Anderson | 1994–1997 | 67 |
| Template:Flagicon Shabani Nonda | 2000–2005 |
References
External links
- Template:Official website
- AS Monaco FC at Ligue 1
- AS Monaco FC at UEFA
Template:AS Monaco FC Template:AS Monaco FC seasons Template:Ligue 1 Template:Authority control