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Stade de Reims 1952-1962 

Champagne Football

Stade Reims are, historically, one of Frances most well respected clubs. They have enjoyed much domestic and European success, and were responsible for providing many legendary players to the French national team during the 1940’s and 50’s. In fact, Roger Marche, Raymond Kopa, Just Fontaine, Jean Vincent, Robert Jonquet, Armand Penverne, Dominique Colonna, and Roger Piantoni all plied their trade for Reims while representing the French national team during their successful run in the 1958 World Cup. The two teams even shared their manager, Albert Batteux. After he stepped up from long-time player to manager, Batteux signed Kopa and Giraudo to the club. These signings helped Reims win their second league title in 1953, clearing their closest opponents by four points. That same year, Reims claimed the Latin Cup, becoming the first French club at attain that honour. It was all the sweeter considering that French teams finished runners-up for the previous three editions in a row.

 

In 1955, Reims won its third league title in three seasons, qualifying the club for the newly created European Cup. In the inaugural edition of the tournament, Reims made it all the way to the final against Real Madrid, and with the match taking place in Paris they had the home advantage. The French side found themselves 2-0 up after only ten minutes, but the Spaniards drew level before the ref blew for half time. Just after the hour mark, Reims took the lead but the Spanish giants, who were champions of their league at the time, scored twice and ripped the first ever pan-European trophy from Reims’ grasp, and their hopes of going down in history as the first European Cup winners were dashed. The following year, Reims also lost their star midfielder Raymond Kopa to Real Madrid, but bolstered their squad with the signings of  Fontaine,Vincent, Piantoni, and Colonna. Even though the team struggled initially, the signings ended up paying off when Reims won their third league title of the decade in 1958 and achieved the double by taking out the Coupe de France with a 3-1 victory over Nimes Olympique.

 

Reims returned to the European Cup final in 1959, and again, they faced their nemesis Real Madrid. Both sides were largely unchanged from their previous encounter, aside from Kopa having switched sides and Reims having signed the four aforementioned players. Madrid however had already won the competition three times, and made it four by edging to a 2-0 victory. After this, Penverne left the club but Kopa returned and led Reims to another French league title in 1960. The club was then hit by three more departures: Jonquet who decided to hang up his international boots and head to Strasbourg, Girauldo and Leblond. Despite this, the clubs run of success continued and they won yet another league title in 1962. This victory was the icing on the cake that was Juste Fontaines wonderful career, who subsequently retired from football. The following season, which was Batteux’s last, Reims finished runners-up to Monaco, but the wheels fell off the year after when the club appallingly finished 17th and were relegated, resulting in many of their star players leaving the club or retiring, with the exception of Raymond Kopa, who remained loyal to Stade de Reims until 1967.

 


Achievements: Ligue 1 - Champions x 5

                          Coupe de France - Winners x 1

                          Trophee des Champions  - Winners x 3

                          Latin Cup - Winners x 1

                          European Cup - Runners up x 2


Star player: Raymond Kopa, DoB 13 October 1931, Noeux-les-Mines, France, nickname: Little Napoleon

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Born into a family of Polish immigrants, Kopa followed the footsteps of his grandfather, father and brother by working in the coal mines from the age of 14. During this time, he lost a finger in a mining accident. His football career started in Ligue 2 with Angers, before he was transferred to Reims with whom he won the French Championship in 1953 and 1955. He also helped them reach the 1956 European Cup final. He attracted attention in Spain with a terrific performance for France against Spain in Madrid, which lead to the Spanish press dubbing him "Little Napoleon". He transferred to Real Madrid in 1956 where he was joined by Ferenc Puskas, becoming a mainstay in the famous Real Madrid team of the era. There, he was extremely successful, winning three successive European Cups and two Spanish championships. Kopa was awarded the Ballon D'Or in 1958, and in 1959, he returned to Reims, winning a further two French league titles. He played 45 times for France between 1952 and 1962, including an outstanding performance in the 1958 World Cup where he was one of the players of the tournament. Kopa died in March, 2017 aged 85.

GK-  René JACQUET 1
DF-  Simon ZIMNY 2 DF- Robert JONQUET 3 DF- Bruno RODZIK 4
MF- Michel LEBLOND 6 MF- Michel HIDALGO 5 MF- Léon GLOWACKI 7 MF- Raymond KOPA 8
FW-  Jean TEMPLIN 11 FW-  Just FONTAINE  10  FW-  Roger PIANTONI 9
SUBS:
Jean VINCENT 14,  Raoul GIRAULDO 13,  Armand PENVERNE 15,   Robert LAMARTINE 16,
René BLIARD 18, Robert SIATKA 25, Roger MARCHE 20

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Manager: Albert BATTEAUX

Home Ground: Stade Auguste Delaune
 

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