Racing Club de Lens Féminin
Red and yellow logo
Founded2001 (2001) (as Arras)
2020 (2020) (as RC Lens)
ManagerSarah M'Barek
LeagueDivision 2 Féminine
2021–226th (Group A)
WebsiteClub website

Racing Club de Lens Féminin is a French football club that competes in Division 2 Féminine Group A, and has previously competed in Division 1 Féminine. The club was founded in 2001 as Arras Football Association, and was renamed Arras Football Club Féminin in 2011. In 2020, the club became the women's department of Racing Club de Lens.

History

Two teams of players shaking hands.
Arras FCF players during their 2011–12 Coupe de France Féminine match against Lyon.

Arras Football Club Féminin was founded in 2001,[1] as the women's department of Arras FA.[2] In 2002, Arras won their regional championship, and were promoted to Division 3 Féminine.[2] In 2009–10, Arras won the Division 3 Group C title, and were promoted to Division 2 Féminine.[3] In 2011, the club renamed itself Arras Football Club Féminin (Arras FCF),[1] after becoming a separate team from Arras FA.[2]

In the 2011–2012 Division 2 Féminine season, Arras FCF won promotion to the Division 1 Féminine.[4] They also reached the semi-finals of the 2011–12 Coupe de France Féminine, the team's best performance in the competition.[5][6] Arras were later relegated from Division 1 Féminine in the 2014–15 season.[1][7] They finished second in Division 2 Féminine in 2015–2016, third in 2016–2017, sixth in 2017–2018, and eighth in 2018–2019.[1] Arras finished ninth in the 2019–2020 Division 2 Féminine, before the season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8]

In 2019, a deal between Arras and Racing Club de Lens was agreed to allow Arras to train once a week at Lens' La Gaillette stadium.[9] In 2020, the club was taken over by Racing Club de Lens,[10] in a merger/adoption deal.[11] The team took the Lens name,[8] and kept the badge of Arras on player jerseys alongside the Lens badge.[1] The team now trains most of the time at La Gaillette, although sometimes at Arras,[10] and matches are played in both locations.[12] As part of the move, Sarah M'Barek was announced as the team's new manager.[10] Lens announced that most of the Arras players would be kept after the takeover, and the club made eight signings in the summer 2020 transfer window.[9] Prior to the deal, Lens were one of six professional men's clubs without a women's team.[13]

First-team squad

As of 14 November 2023

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK France FRA Justine Rousseeu
— DF France FRA Elsa Duquesne
— MF France FRA Tess David
— FW Haiti HAI Sherly Jeudy
— MF Haiti HAI Dayana Pierre-Louis
— FW Benin BEN Aude Gbedjissi
12 DF France FRA Fany Proniez
— GK France FRA Blandine Joly
— FW France FRA Kahissa Saïdi
— MF France FRA Sasha Pinot
20 MF Algeria ALG Myriem Nacer
— MF France FRA Lucie Thulliez
22 DF Algeria ALG Emma Smaali
No. Pos. Nation Player
27 DF France FRA Bérénice Legrand
— FW France FRA Kiani Wong
— DF France FRA Romane Lejeune
— DF Haiti HAI Jennyfer Limage
— DF France FRA Charlotte Lorgeré
— DF France FRA Jennifer Meunier
— DF France FRA Andréa Prette
— DF France FRA Doreen Norden
— MF France FRA Souhina Hadj Safi
— MF France FRA Carla Polito
— FW Morocco MAR Kaïna El Koumir
— FW France FRA Emma Meunier
— FW France FRA Amina Boissou
— FW France FRA Lina Thivillon

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Football : le RC Lens au féminin est enfin né ... mais quels en seront les contours ?". La Voix du Nord (in French). 1 July 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Historie" (in French). Racing Club de Lens Féminin. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  3. ↑ "Championnat de France de D3 2009–2010 – Groupe C" (in French). Stats Footo Feminin. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  4. ↑ "Football (Division 1) : pour évoluer parmi l'élite, les Arrageoises vont déménager". La Voix du Nord (in French). 23 June 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  5. ↑ "Football – Soccer – Arras FCF (Women)". Sports.org. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  6. ↑ "Au terme d'un match à rebondissements, Arras s'offre une place dans le dernier carré de la Coupe de France". La Voix du Nord (in French). 10 April 2012. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  7. ↑ "L'Arras Football Club Féminin passe définitivement sous la bannière du RC Lens". Actu (in French). 30 June 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Football féminin : le RC Lens et Arras, "un mariage inattendu" qui se veut "prospère"". La Voix du Nord (in French). 20 July 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  9. 1 2 "Le RC Lens féminin, nouveau-né ambitieux". L'Équipe (in French). 3 July 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  10. 1 2 3 "Football (D2) : les féminines du RC Lens s'entraîneront bien à la Gaillette". La Voix du Nord (in French). 27 July 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  11. ↑ "Le RC Lens aura sa section féminine en 2020". France 3 (in French). 3 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  12. ↑ "Le RC Lens se dote d'une équipe féminine". France Bleu (in French). 21 July 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  13. ↑ "Football : des doutes sur l'avenir de la fusion entre le RC Lens et Arras". La Voix du Nord (in French). 1 April 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
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