Lille Colors, Facts and History

Lille history

Lille Olympique Sporting Club, or LOSC, was born in 1944 when Olympique Lillois and SC Fives merged. Both had been founding members of French Division 1, and Olympique Lillois won its first title. The decade from 1946 to 1955 was the golden age, with seven major trophies, a league and cup double in 1946, and the nickname La Machine de Guerre, The War Machine.

Since 2012 home has been the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, the fourth-largest stadium in France. Another double came in 2011, then a fourth league title and a first Trophée des Champions in 2021, which makes Lille the fourth best French club of the 21st century. All told, Lille owns four league crowns, a single Trophée des Champions and six Coupes de France. In Europe, Lille has played ten Champions League campaigns, three reaching the knockout rounds, nine in the Europa League, and one Conference League run to the quarter-finals. The club also won the Intertoto Cup in 2004 after losing the 2002 edition.

Did you know?

• Lille's postwar side earned the nickname La Machine de Guerre.
• Olympique Lillois, one of Lille's parent clubs, won the first French Division 1 title.
• Lille won the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2004.