Montpellier Hérault Sport Club (French: [mɔ̃pəljeeʁospɔʁklœb]; Occitan: Montpelhièr Erau Sport Club), commonly referred to as Montpellier HSC, is a French professional football club based in Montpellier, Occitanie, France. The club's origins date back to 1919, but it was officially founded in 1974 through a merger of both Stade Olympique Montpelliérain and AS Paillade.

The club currently competes in Ligue 2, the second level of French football. They play their home matches at the Stade de la Mosson, located within the city. The first team is managed by Zoumana Camara.

Montpellier is owned by Laurent Nicollin, the son of Louis Nicollin, a French entrepreneur, who had been owner since 1974. The club have produced several famous players in its history, most notably Laurent Blanc, who has served as manager of the France national team. Blanc is also the club's all-time leading goalscorer. Eric Cantona, Roger Milla, Carlos Valderrama and Olivier Giroud are other players who have played in Montpellier's colours. In 2001, Montpellier introduced a women's team.

History

Origins (1919–1974)

Montpellier was founded in 1919 as Stade Olympique Montpelliérain and soon went on to win the Coupe de France in 1929 in a 2–0 victory over FC Sète. SO Montpelliérain was one of twenty clubs to have played in the inaugural 1932–33 Division 1 season, the first season of professional top flight football in France. In 1974, SO Montpelliérain merged with AS Paillade to form the current iteration of the club, Montpellier Hérault Sport Club.

Continued success & promotions and relegations (1974–2011)

Many decades later, Montpellier went on to win their second Coupe de France in 1990 in a 2–1 victory over RC Paris. The club went on to win the Coupe de la Ligue in 1992 in a 3–1 victory over Angers. The club ended the decade winning the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1999. Montpellier was relegated to Division 2, as it was known as at the time, at the end of the 1999–2000 season finishing in last place on 31 points. They were promoted the following season, returning to Division 1 for the 2001–02 season. The club was again relegated to Ligue 2 at the end of the 2003–04 season and went on to spend five consecutive seasons in Ligue 2 before being promoted back to Ligue 1 for the 2009–10 season where they finished in 5th place.

Title winners & eventual relegation (2011–present)

At the end of the 2011–12 season, Montpellier won its first Ligue 1 title, finishing the season with 82 points, three points ahead of runners-up Paris Saint-Germain. The league-winning match took place on 20 May 2012, in a game marred by stoppages for crowd violence which saw John Utaka score a brace to secure a 2–1 victory over Auxerre. Olivier Giroud, who finished the season with 21 goals and 9 assists, was the league's top goal scorer. Despite being tied on goals with Paris Saint-Germain attacker Nenê, he was named the league's top scorer by the Ligue de Football Professionnel due to finishing with more goals in open play.

On 26 April 2025, after 16 consecutive seasons in Ligue 1, Montpellier was relegated to Ligue 2.

Players

Current squad

As of 17 February 2026

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK FRA Mathieu Michel 3 DF MAR Naoufel El Hannach (on loan from Paris Saint-Germain) 5 MF FRA Everson Junior 6 DF GLP Christopher Jullien 7 FW COD Nathanaël Mbuku (on loan from Augsburg) 8 FW FRA Yanis Issoufou 10 MF MAR Khalil Fayad 11 MF FRA Téji Savanier 14 MF FRA Nabil Homssa 15 DF FRA Julien Laporte 17 DF FRA Théo Sainte-Luce 18 FW FRA Nicolas PaysNo. Pos. Nation Player 19 FW GNB Alexandre Mendy 20 FW FRA Enzo Molebe (on loan from Lyon) 21 DF FRA Lucas Mincarelli 22 MF FRA Axel Gueguin 23 DF FRA Yaël Mouanga 28 FW BEL Ayanda Sishuba (on loan from Rennes) 29 DF CMR Enzo Tchato 31 GK CMR Simon Ngapandouetnbu 33 FW FRA Fayssal El Mahboub 44 MF FRA Théo Chennahi 50 GK SRB Viktor Džodić
1GKFRAMathieu Michel
3DFMARNaoufel El Hannach (on loan from Paris Saint-Germain)
5MFFRAEverson Junior
6DFGLPChristopher Jullien
7FWCODNathanaël Mbuku (on loan from Augsburg)
8FWFRAYanis Issoufou
10MFMARKhalil Fayad
11MFFRATéji Savanier
14MFFRANabil Homssa
15DFFRAJulien Laporte
17DFFRAThéo Sainte-Luce
18FWFRANicolas Pays
No.Pos.NationPlayer
19FWGNBAlexandre Mendy
20FWFRAEnzo Molebe (on loan from Lyon)
21DFFRALucas Mincarelli
22MFFRAAxel Gueguin
23DFFRAYaël Mouanga
28FWBELAyanda Sishuba (on loan from Rennes)
29DFCMREnzo Tchato
31GKCMRSimon Ngapandouetnbu
33FWFRAFayssal El Mahboub
44MFFRAThéo Chennahi
50GKSRBViktor Džodić

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
No. Pos. Nation Player — DF MLI Modibo Sagnan (at Çaykur Rizespor until 30 June 2026)No. Pos. Nation Player — FW UAE Junior Ndiaye (at Quevilly-Rouen until 30 June 2026)
—DFMLIModibo Sagnan (at Çaykur Rizespor until 30 June 2026)
No.Pos.NationPlayer
—FWUAEJunior Ndiaye (at Quevilly-Rouen until 30 June 2026)

Records

Most appearances

RankPlayerMatches
1Senegal Souleymane Camara433
2France Pascal Baills429
3France Bruno Carotti377
4Brazil Vitorino Hilton354
5Algeria Kader Ferhaoui349

Top scorers

RankPlayerGoals
1France Laurent Blanc84
2Senegal Souleymane Camara76
3France Jean-Marc Valadier:)70
4France Christophe Sanchez50
5Algeria Andy Delort49

Management and staff

Club officials

Montpellier HSC headquarters

Senior club staff

  • President: Laurent Nicollin
  • Association chairman: Gilbert Varlot
  • Sporting Director: Bruno Carotti
  • Head of Youth: Francis De Taddeo

Coaching and medical staff

  • Head coach: Zoumana Camara
  • Assistant head coach: Ghislain Printant
  • First-Team coach: Hilton
  • Goalkeeper coach: Robin Gasset
  • Fitness coach: Claude Duvergne
  • Scout: Adrien Bordeau

Coaching history

TenureManager
Tenure Manager 1924–1925 Victor Gibson 1936–1937 Jules Dewaquez 1937–1938 Istvan Berecz 1938–1939 Georges Azema 1945–1946 Gabriel Bénézech 1946–1948 Georges Kramer 1948–1950 Georges Winckelmans 1950–1951 Jean Bastien 1951–1952 Istvan Zavadsky 1952–1953 Luis Cazarro 1953–1954 Julien Darui 1954–1956 Marcel Tomazover 1956–1958 Istvan Zavadsky 1958–1963 Hervé Mirouze 1963–1968 Louis Favre 1968–1969 Roger Rolhion 1969–1970 Marian Borowski 1970–1974 Hervé Mirouze 1974–1976 André Cristol 1976 Louis Favre 1 July 1976 – 30 June 1980 Robert Nouzaret 1 July 1980 – 30 June 1982 Kader Firoud 1982–1984 Jacques Bonnet 1 July 1983 – 30 June 1985 Robert Nouzaret 1 July 1985 – 30 June 1987 Michel MézyTenure Manager 1 July 1987 – 30 June 1989 Pierre Mosca 1989–1990 Aimé Jacquet 12 February 1990 – 30 June 1990 Michel Mézy 1990–1992 Henryk Kasperczak 1992–1994 Gérard Gili 1 November 1994 – 30 June 1998 Michel Mézy 1 July 1998 – 30 November 1999 Jean-Louis Gasset 30 November 1999 – 1 November 2002 Michel Mézy 1 November 2002 – 10 February 2004 Gérard Bernardet 10 February 2004 – 29 August 2004 Robert Nouzaret 29 August 2004 – 24 April 2007 Jean-François Domergue 29 April 2007 – 30 June 2009 Rolland Courbis 1 July 2009 – 30 June 2013 René Girard 1 July 2013 – 5 December 2013 Jean Fernandez 9 December 2013– 25 December 2015 Rolland Courbis 27 December 2015 – 26 January 2016 Pascal Baills Bruno Martini 26 January 2016 – 30 January 2017 Frédéric Hantz 30 January 2017 – 23 May 2017 Jean-Louis Gasset 23 May 2017 – 24 May 2021 Michel Der Zakarian 1 June 2021 – 17 October 2022 Olivier Dall'Oglio 14 November 2022 – 7 February 2023 Romain Pitau 8 February 2023 – 20 October 2024 Michel Der Zakarian 22 October 2024 – 7 April 2025 Jean-Louis Gasset 8 April 2025 – present Zoumana Camara
1924–1925Victor Gibson
1936–1937Jules Dewaquez
1937–1938Istvan Berecz
1938–1939Georges Azema
1945–1946Gabriel Bénézech
1946–1948Georges Kramer
1948–1950Georges Winckelmans
1950–1951Jean Bastien
1951–1952Istvan Zavadsky
1952–1953Luis Cazarro
1953–1954Julien Darui
1954–1956Marcel Tomazover
1956–1958Istvan Zavadsky
1958–1963Hervé Mirouze
1963–1968Louis Favre
1968–1969Roger Rolhion
1969–1970Marian Borowski
1970–1974Hervé Mirouze
1974–1976André Cristol
1976Louis Favre
1 July 1976 – 30 June 1980Robert Nouzaret
1 July 1980 – 30 June 1982Kader Firoud
1982–1984Jacques Bonnet
1 July 1983 – 30 June 1985Robert Nouzaret
1 July 1985 – 30 June 1987Michel Mézy
TenureManager
1 July 1987 – 30 June 1989Pierre Mosca
1989–1990Aimé Jacquet
12 February 1990 – 30 June 1990Michel Mézy
1990–1992Henryk Kasperczak
1992–1994Gérard Gili
1 November 1994 – 30 June 1998Michel Mézy
1 July 1998 – 30 November 1999Jean-Louis Gasset
30 November 1999 – 1 November 2002Michel Mézy
1 November 2002 – 10 February 2004Gérard Bernardet
10 February 2004 – 29 August 2004Robert Nouzaret
29 August 2004 – 24 April 2007Jean-François Domergue
29 April 2007 – 30 June 2009Rolland Courbis
1 July 2009 – 30 June 2013René Girard
1 July 2013 – 5 December 2013Jean Fernandez
9 December 2013– 25 December 2015Rolland Courbis
27 December 2015 – 26 January 2016Pascal Baills Bruno Martini
26 January 2016 – 30 January 2017Frédéric Hantz
30 January 2017 – 23 May 2017Jean-Louis Gasset
23 May 2017 – 24 May 2021Michel Der Zakarian
1 June 2021 – 17 October 2022Olivier Dall'Oglio
14 November 2022 – 7 February 2023Romain Pitau
8 February 2023 – 20 October 2024Michel Der Zakarian
22 October 2024 – 7 April 2025Jean-Louis Gasset
8 April 2025 – presentZoumana Camara

Honours

Domestic

Historical league performance chart of Montpellier HSC

Europe

Other

  • Division d'Honneur (Sud-Est) Champions (3): 1928, 1932, 1976

U19

See also

External links

  • (in French)