 | ||||
| Full name | Union Sportive Créteil-Lusitanos | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicknames | Les Béliers (The Rams) Les Cristoliens (The Créteiliens) USC | |||
| Founded | 1936; 89 years ago (1936) | |||
| Ground | Stade Dominique Duvauchelle | |||
| Capacity | 12,150 | |||
| Owner | NJJ Holding (Xavier Niel) | |||
| League | National 2 Group C | |||
| 2024–25 | National 2 Group C, 5th of 16 | |||
| Website | www | |||
Union Sportive Créteil-Lusitanos (commonly referred to asUS Créteil,USC, or simplyCréteil) is a Frenchfootball club based inCréteil, a southeasternsuburb ofParis. The club was founded in 1936 and currently play in theNational 2, the fourth level ofFrench football. The football club forms part of anomnisports club that is also known for itshandball team.
US Créteil was founded in 1936 as anomnisports club and have a rich history, despite achieving minimal honours.
The club has won theDivision d'Honneur on two occasions in 1962 and 1986. In 1987, Créteil were crowned champions of the now-defunct Division 4 and, a year later, captured theDivision 3 title. The club's best finish in the prestigiousCoupe de France was during the1985–86 edition of the competition when the team reached the quarter-finals. For eight consecutive seasons (1999–2007), Créteil played inLigue 2, the second division ofFrench football. It returned to Ligue 2 in the 2013–14 season. In 2018, the club was relegated to theChampionnat National 2.
The team is affectionately known asLes Béliers (lit. 'The Rams') orLes Cristoliens, the name given to the inhabitants of Créteil.
Association football ventured to the city ofCréteil relatively late compared to othercommunes located in and aroundParis. The first club to enter the fray wasClub Sportif de Créteil. However, the club was considered unstable from the start and was declared unofficial as the city was attempting to replicate the passion and heart clubs such asRed Star 93,CA Paris-Charenton, andRacing Club de France displayed in nearby communes. The declaration soon came to fruition following the foundation ofUnion Sportive Créteil in 1936 by a man commonly known as M. Hemon. Créteil spent almost 30 years hovering in the lower divisions. During this time, the football club played its home matches at the Stade Desmont, which seated only 800 spectators. Under the leadership of B. Hainque, Créteil reached theChampionnat de France amateur in 1962. The team then proceeded to falter back into the Promotion d'Honneur before reaching the Division d'Honneur in the new decade.
Créteil were a luckybeneficiary in 1978 when theFrench Football Federation announced the creation of the Division 4. The club was promoted to the new league despite its 7th-place finish in the Division d'Honneur the previous season. The team's shaky form showed as they were in dead last after ten matches were contested. By the end of the season, Créteil were back in the Division d'Honneur. In 1983, the club moved into its new stadium, theStade Dominique Duvauchelle, after having spent almost 50 years at the Stade Desmont. Two years later, under the guidance of the city'sdeputy mayor Laurent Cathala,Union Sportive Créteil merged with the Créteilomnisports club in order to give the city a better sporting identity. The club's main sports becamefootball,swimming,athletics, andcycling.
US Créteil spent the 2000s between the third division andLigue 2 before being relegated back toChampionnat de France National. In 2002, the club merged with its neighborLusitanos, fromSaint-Maur-des-Fossés, changing its name to the current Créteil-Lusitanos.
In the 2012–13 season, the club was promoted back to Ligue 2 and they reached the round of 16 in the 2012Coupe de France competition before being eliminated byGirondins de Bordeaux. In 2016, the club was relegated from Ligue 2 back to the Championnat National. In 2018, US Créteil were relegated to theChampionnat National 2 after finishing bottom of the table.[1][2]
On 27 May 2019, Créteil were promoted back to theChampionnat National after finishing as champions of theChampionnat National 2 Group D.[3] They were relegated in May 2022, finishing 17th in the2021–22 season.[4]
On May 1st 2025, the club was acquired by French businessmanXavier Niel, who was born and raised in the town. The billionaire, now the club’s majority shareholder, arrived with “a project based on three priorities: investing in the future, through the creation and development of a youth academy; professionalizing the club, by strengthening its resources and forming more partnerships; and raising Créteil’s profile, by attracting a broader audience to the stadium and modernizing the club’s image”.[5][6][7]
On June 19th 2025, the club announced the appointment of Olivier Miannay as Deputy General Manager, coming fromLe Puy Football 43. He had previously led the Créteil club from 2016 to 2018.[8] The appointment of Karim Mokeddem as head coach—former manager ofFC Sochaux-Montbéliard andUS Orléans—was also announced by the club.[9]
The club has a small but loyal and fanatical fan-base, mostly fromVal-de-Marne, the southern and eastern suburbs ofParis. The club has twoultras groups;Urban Devils founded in 2002, later re-formed in 2005 andKop deBanlieue founded in 2004. The fans are known as theCristoliens, inhabitants ofCréteil.
Despite playing in a modern facility, the club's level attendance is very low, averaging only around 500 spectators during theChampionnat National years, although after promotion that number has risen to around 2500 per game in Ligue 2.[10]
The club has rivalries withRed Star F.C. andParis FC,[11] with whom they contest theParisian derbies.
Average attendances:[10][12][13]
Créteil play its home matches at the 12,000-seatStade Dominique Duvauchelle, named after Dominique Duvauchelle, a localsports journalist from the city ofCréteil.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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For a complete list of former US Créteil-Lusitanos players with a Wikipedia article, seehere.
| Position | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Manager | Stéphane Masala |  French |
| Assistant manager | Francis de Percin | French |
| Assistant manager | Jean-Michel Bridier | French |
| Goalkeeping coach | Jean-Pascal Beaufreton | French |
| Physiotherapist | Olivier Roussey | French |
| Medical Doctor | Nicolas Bompard | French |
| Intendant | Amandio Adubeiro |  Portuguese |
US Créteil-Lusitanos has had numerous managers andcaretaker managers since the club's foundation in 1936. The list below begins with the club's managers since 1986.
| Manager | Créteil career | Major Honours |
|---|---|---|
| Jean-Marc Komano | 1986–88 | WonDivision 4 andDivision 3. |
| Philippe Redon | 1988–89, 1989–90 | |
| Philippe Troussier | 1989 | |
 Ruben Umpierrez | 1989 | |
 Fathi Chebel | 1989 | |
| Jacky Lemée | 1990–92 | |
| Marc Collat | 1992–95 | |
| Robert Buiges | 1995–96 | |
| Pierre Garcia | 1996–97 | |
| Bernard Simondi | 1997–99 | Achieved promotion toLigue 2. |
 Gernot Rohr | 1999–00 | |
| Laurent Roussey | 2000–01 | |
 Slaviša Vukićević | 2001 | |
 Ladislas Lozano | 2001–02 | |
| Noël Tosi | 2002–03 | |
| Jean-Michel Bridier | 2003, 2004 | |
| Jean-Michel Cavalli | 2003–04 | |
| Guy David | 2004–05 | |
| Albert Rust | 2006 | |
| Olivier Frapolli | 2006, 2008–09 | |
| Artur Jorge | 2006–07 | |
| Thierry Goudet | 2007–08 | |
| Laurent Fournier | 2009–10 | |
| Hubert Velud | 2010–2011 | |
| Jean-Luc Vasseur | 2011–2014 | Won the2012–13 Championnat National |
| Philippe Hinschberger | 2014 | |
| Thierry Froger | 2014–2015 | |
| Laurent Roussey | 2015–Unknown | |
| Stéphane Le Mignan | 2017–2018 | |
| Carlos Secretário | 2018–2020 | |
| Richard Déziré | 2020–2021[16] | |
| Emmanuel Da Costa | 2021–2022[17] | |
| Stéphane Masala | 2022–[18] |
Note:[19]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)