This Sunday, as part of the twelfth day of Ligue 1, LOSC will celebrate its 80th anniversary. To contribute in its own way, Le Petit Lillois takes a brief tour of its history by selecting one notable match per decade. Here we go!
80 years of coats of arms, logos, jerseys and even stadiums, the rich history of LOSC has already been closely analyzed and told by the best local writers in recent weeks, months and years. This time, it is through games which still represent true epics today, that the Lille story is dissected. Put on your shoes, tighten your laces, adjust everything and take a leap back in time, a hell of a leap back that will make you relive one significant encounter in a decade. Are you ready? We'll take you!
LOSC- Red Star: May 26, 1946
In 1946, LOSC prepared to achieve its first cup-championship double. After eliminating Clermont, RC Paris and Rouen, Lille, led by the historic British manager George Berry (first coach in the history of the club and former coach of SC Fives), finds the Red Star in Colombes for the final of the French Cup. LOSC dominates the entire game with goals from Tempowski, Bihel and Vandooren. The club thus won its first Coupe de France, which would then be followed by five others later (1947, 1948, 1953, 1955 and 2011). At that time, however, no one knew about it yet.
LOSC – Nancy: May 16, 1954
This part counted for the last day of the championship during the 1953-1954 season and, on this occasion, nearly 17,500 people gathered in the aisles of the Stade Henri-Jooris. Three teams can still be champions: Reims, Bordeaux and LOSC, but the first two face each other and draw. The field is then free for Lille who can be champions in the event of victory. But the people of Nancy defend with a low block that Pablo Corréa would not deny a few decades later.
This did not bother LOSC enough, who found the fault: Jean Vincent opened the scoring after a quarter of an hour of play before being followed by Yvon Douis. The legendary scorer André Strappe concludes for the 3-0 in favor of André Cheuva's men. This is how the editor-in-chief of “Voix des Sports”, Augustin Charlet, presented this title at the time: “Since the creation of professionalism in Football, which dates back to the 1932-33 season, the capital of Flanders has registered its name three times on the list of national football competitions; the first year with Olympique Lille and the other two times thanks to LOSC (1946 and 1954). Football has a leader of undeniable merit”. A statement that is still valid today.
LOSC – Red Star : 27 May 1964
In the mid-60s, LOSC's glory days were already far away. It has now been five years since Lille have been in the second division, in purgatory. Jules Bigot, former great player of the club and man of character, ends up taking over the team and the season is finally successful. Three days from the end, LOSC can already be L2 champion for the first time in its history. And it will once again take place in the den of the Henri-Jooris stadium. The opponent is an old, well-known enemy of LOSC at that time: Red Star. Many supporters came to see LOSC triumph easily 2-0 in front of 12,000 people (record attendance since 1958). A crowd that even allows itself to cheerfully invade the field to celebrate this title and this rebirth.
LOSC – Nancy July 19, 1978
It just goes to show that there are historical adversaries that we come across again through the epics of a club. After the match which offered the title of L1 champions in the mid-1950s, here is the match of renewal against the Nancéiens in the mid-1970s. Lille is coming out of a season in Ligue 2 and is based on a new sporting policy which could recall the current one: highlighting the training center, regionalization, strengthening of the communication department. And the recipe works. To open this 1978-79 season, LOSC faces the great Nancy de Platini, recent winner of the Coupe de France. With six club-trained players on the scoresheet and, although trailing 3-1 after 40 minutes of play, Lille managed to turn the match around. Without Burak Yilmaz's free kicks but with another formidable player: Pierre Pleimelding (6th top scorer in the club's history).
LOSC – Bordeaux: March 12, 1985
The 80s were difficult for LOSC. The city of Lille has become the majority shareholder of the club which most often fights for its maintenance. So, once again, the Coupe de France is the scene of some exploits and northern dreams. This feat is resounding. After losing 3-1 in the first leg of the round of 16 against the solid Girondins de Bordeaux at the time, LOSC must play the return match at its Grimonprez-Jooris Stadium. Hopes were low against Tigana, Dropsy, Battiston and others. In addition, the Bordelais opened the scoring from the start of the match. Here are three goals for Lille in less than an hour of play.
It was therefore just before half-time that Pascal Plancque equalized with a direct free kick and gave some hope. Then two goals on the hour mark pushed the Girondins, reigning champions, into overtime. And there was euphoria when, at the start of this additional period, Primorac, an unaccustomed Bosnian defender, scored a second goal with a header and qualified LOSC. The club will go that year to the semi-finals of the Coupe de France, a stage of the competition that Lille will not reach again before the 2011 title. Primorac will become the future historic assistant of a certain Arsène Wenger at Arsenal for more than 20 years. Jean-Michel Vandamme, current head of training and assistant coach at the time, will summarize this match as follows: “We understood that we were capable of shaking up the big guys. » It is not José Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti or Diego Simeone who could say the opposite.
LOSC – Guingamp: November 12, 1999
During the last match of the 1998-1999 season, LOSC narrowly missed promotion to Ligue 1 against Guingamp, and on their goal difference. So the following season, in November, while the club is about to be privatized, revenge against the same Guingampais is being prepared. However, the latter are second in the championship and particularly dangerous. Same coach, Vahid confirms: “I think that on paper there are better people than us. Guingamp for example »he said. It therefore takes all the cunning of Lille, soon reduced to 10 with the exclusion of goalkeeper Grégory Wimbée, to triumph. Landrin takes his place in goal while Fernando D'Amico comes to rub against an opponent during a free kick and then collapses on his own and causes a dismissal. It thus restores the teams to equal numbers. Djezon Boutoille took the opportunity to double the score at the end of the match and complete a 2-0 final victory at the Stade Grimonprez-Jooris. Jean-Louis Valois even celebrated by being excluded too. It is yet another match of renewal for LOSC which was sold to the Dayan-Graille duo the following month and reached the first division at the end of this season and has not left it since.
Parma Football 1913 – LOSC : August 8, 2001
This famous Ennio Tardini Stadium in Parma… Two years ago, LOSC was in Ligue 2 while Parma Calcio won the UEFA Cup against Marseille, the Cup and the Italian Super Cup in the same season. Obviously, on paper, the poster seems unbalanced. Grégory Wimbée, LOSC goalkeeper at the time, remembers: “There weren't many people in the stadium and from the handshake, we felt that they were making fun of us. Obviously, we shouldn't be very scary. » But coach Vahid has a plan in mind. He knows that the Italians are at the beginning of their preparation, not yet physically ready. He is therefore innovating with a three-way defense for this barrage, like a certain Bruno Genesio this season.
The Lille defense is impossible to break through and the score at half-time is therefore goalless. Returning from the locker room, an unscrewed cross offers an improbable goal to LOSC, thanks to Bassir, holding the score until ten minutes from the end and a famous free kick more than thirty meters from the goal. Bruno Cheyrou is about to shoot him when he hears Johnny Ecker's voice behind him: “Leave Bruno, this is my only chance to sign for Italy next season. »
Ecker will never sign in Italy but, that evening, he scored this famous free kick to Sebastien Frey. It allowed LOSC to experience the first of its beautiful European epics.
OM-LOSC: March 6, 2011
It was the 26th day of Ligue 1. As in the 2020/2021 season, several clubs can be champions including the Mastiffs. They travel against their Marseille rivals at the Stade Vélodrome and its 52,960 spectators. We are in the tenth minute of play when Eden Hazard decides to do the unthinkable and strike from 40 meters. Grégoire Margotton, commentator for Canal + at the time, remembers: “It surprises everyone, he’s not on his right foot. Not sure either that it is said that Mandanda is advanced. I remember his reaction, the genius surprises himself, I remember the hand gesture he makes right after. I've never screamed like that in my life…”
Hazard himself admitted afterwards: “It’s my greatest goal. Also because I entered it in such a stadium.”
And LOSC supporters agree with him since he was elected “goal of the century” in 2020. But, more than a magnificent goal, this achievement, coupled with that of Frau in added time, allowed the LOSC to win the match and head towards the title that year.
OL-LOSC : April 25, 2021
Same situation ten years later… Several clubs are within a few points of each other to obtain the title, including Olympique Lyonnais, to whom LOSC is traveling this April. Lille are obliged to win if they want to play for first place. But, in this game, they quickly fell behind by two goals and the world seemed to collapse. That's without counting on a certain Turk. Burak Yilmaz, first of the name, took a free kick just before half-time which he sent over the wall of Anthony Lopes. 2-1. Then on the hour mark Lucas Paqueta misses his back pass. Who's hanging around to pick her up and serve Jonathan David? Burak. 2-2. Then with five minutes left to play, Yuzuf Yazici is not afraid to take his hair off to deflect the ball with his head and offer the winning goal to the same Burak Yilmaz. 2-3. LOSC is launched at the top of the championship. And, as we all know, he will end up obtaining this famous fourth title of champion of France.
