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| Full name | Gazélec Football Club Ajaccio |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Le Gaz (The Gas) Le Bistrot (TheBistro)[1] I diavuli rossi (The Reds Devils) Les Gaziers (The Gasmen) |
| Founded | 1910; 115 years ago (1910) |
| Ground | Stade Ange Casanova |
| Capacity | 8,000 |
| Owner | Louis Poggi |
| Chairman | Louis Poggi |
| Manager | Erwan Huet |
| League | Régional 1 Corsica |
| 2023–24 | Régional 2 Corsica, 1st of 12 (promoted) |
| Website | https://gfca-foot.corsica/ |
Gazélec Football Club Ajaccio (Corsican:Gazélec Football Club Aiacciu), commonly referred to asGFC Ajaccio,GFCA,Gazélec Ajaccio or simplyGazélec (French:[ɡazelɛk]), is a French football club fromAjaccio,Corsica. Founded in 1910, Gazélec played one season inLigue 1 in the2015–16 season. As of the 2024–25 season, it competes in theRégional 1, the sixth tier of theFrench football league system.
The club was founded in 1960 as result of the merger of two small Ajaccio clubs,Football Club Ajaccien (commonly known asFC Ajaccio), founded in 1930 andGazélec Corse Club, founded in 1910.
Gazélec reached the semi-finals of the2011–12 Coupe de France, while playing in the third-tierChampionnat National. They hosted home games in the later rounds at the largerStade François Coty, home ofAC Ajaccio.[2]
On 15 May 2015, Gazélec were promoted toLigue 1 for the first time in the club's history, following a 3–2 win overNiort with two goals byJohn Tshibumbu. It was their second consecutive promotion and fourth in five years. The team started off the2015–16 Ligue 1 season as one of the smallest teams to compete in the division's history.[3] They were instantly relegated, in 19th place.[4] In June 2019, the club were relegated to the third tier after a play-off loss toLe Mans.[5] They were relegated again at the end of the truncated2019–20 Championnat National season, after being in the relegation places when the season was halted due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[6] In 2021, they suffered administrative relegation to the fifth-tierChampionnat National 3 for financial reasons.[7][8]
On 20 December 2022, following the initiation of criminal proceedings against its president of two months, receivership proceedings were commenced by the commercial court of Ajaccio.[9] On 23 January 2023 the club appeared at the commercial court again, where a decision to liquidate it was tabled, under advisement for one week.[10] A week later, the court confirmed the decision, leading to the suspension of the two senior teams of the club from Championnat National 3 and Régional 2, and their results for the season being expunged.[11] On 13 July 2023, theFrench Football Federation decided that Gazélec Ajaccio could participate in the upcoming season's Régional 2.[12] In the 2023–24 season, they achieved immediate promotion to theRégional 1.[13]
The club had rivalries with the other two Corsican professional clubs:SC Bastia andAC Ajaccio, the latter one playing theAjaccio Derby with Gazélec. For many years, Gazélec played in a lower division than their city rivals. The side also had a rivalry with another smaller club on the island,FC Borgo, a club formed whenCA Bastia andBorgo FC merged.[14][15][16][17]
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