US Orléans (women)
Women's football club in Orléans, France
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Union Sportive Orléans Loiret Football féminines (pronounced [ynjɔ̃ spɔʁtiv ɔʁleɑ̃]; commonly referred to as US Orléans or simply Orléans) is a French women's professional football club based in Orléans. The club is the women's section of US Orléans and competes in the Division 3 Féminine, the third tier of the French football system.
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| Full name | Union Sportive Orléans Loiret Football féminines | ||
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| Nickname | Les Guêpes | ||
| Founded | 1968 as AS Orléans | ||
| Ground | Stade de la Source | ||
| Capacity | 7,533 | ||
| President | Cyril Courtin | ||
| Coach | Mathias Bastos Régis Mohar | ||
| League | Division 3 Féminine | ||
| 2024–25 | Seconde Ligue, 11th of 11 (relegated) | ||
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History
The women's section of Arago Sport Orléanais was established in 1941 and led to the creation of the first women's football team in Loiret in 1968.[1]
In 1970, Bernard Ranoul, a former player of the club, founded the first women's football team in Loiret. The team entered the Eure-et-Loir district championship in 1971 due to the absence of local competitors.[2]
The club was among the 16 teams to compete in the inaugural season of the French Women's Championship in 1974–75. The team reached the final but lost 5–0 to Stade de Reims.[3] The following seasons saw mixed performances, including a fourth-place finish in 1975–76 and then merging with US Orleans to form US Orléans Arago in 1976.
Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, US Orléans remained in Division 1, achieving varying results but facing relegation to regional competitions in 1991.
After nearly two decades at the regional level, the team began a resurgence in 2009, winning multiple Division d'Honneur titles and narrowly missing promotion to Division 2 in several seasons.[4]
In 2018, the team returned to the national stage, securing promotion to Division 2 after a playoff victory over FC Rouen, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the women's section.[5][6] The season was capped off with a Coupe du Centre triumph.[7]
After maintaining their place in Division 2 for the 2023–24 season, the club's management considered relegating the team to a lower division for budgetary reasons or shutting down the women's section entirely to prioritize the men's team.[8][9] However, support from Jean-Michel Aulas, the minister of sports, local authorities, and regional governments helped secure the team’s place in the second tier.[10]
Players
Current squad
- As of 7 December 2024[11]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Notable players
Below are the notable former players who have represented Orléans in and international competition since the club's foundation in 1976. To appear in the section below, a player must have played in at least 80 official matches for the club or have represented their respective national team during their stint at the club or after the player's departure.