Le Mans

Le Mans FC are a club from the motorsport capital of the world, a city far more famous for its 24-hour endurance race than its football. But the club, based in the Sarthe department of northern France, carved out a genuine place in the French top flight during the 2000s, spending seven consecutive seasons in Ligue 1 from 2003 to 2010. Their passionate supporters and the atmospheric MMArena gave Le Mans a proud footballing identity in a city where sport runs deep.

Founded in 1985, Le Mans play at the MMArena in the city of Le Mans in the Sarthe department of northern France. Their Ligue 1 spell from 2003 to 2010 represents the peak of their history. Financial difficulties brought the club down in 2010, and a reformed version has competed in the lower divisions since.

The red and black of Le Mans are among the most distinctive colours in French regional football, a combination worn with pride throughout their top-flight years. The kits from the Ligue 1 era between 2003 and 2010 remain the most celebrated in the club's history, the strips that gave a city of motorsport a genuine football identity to rally behind. Their reformed incarnation has honoured the same colours, maintaining continuity with the fans who never stopped believing.