Historical Crests AS Nancy-Lorraine

Name: ​ ​AS Nancy-Lorraine

Nickname(s): Les Chardons (The Thistles)

Founded: 1967

Stadium: Stade Marcel-Picot

Capacity: 20,087

AS Nancy-Lorraine Crest History

The original crest of AS Nancy-Lorraine, introduced when the club was founded in 1967, consisted solely of a stylised red Lorraine thistle. The thistle was adopted from the coat of arms of the city of Nancy and symbolised the city's historic motto, "Qui s'y frotte s'y pique" ("Whoever brushes against it gets pricked"), which would later become the club's own motto. The sharp, irregular design reflected strength and resilience while immediately establishing the thistle as the club's defining emblem.

In 1970, the thistle was redrawn with a more symmetrical and rounded appearance while retaining its distinctive shape and symbolism. Although the changes were subtle, the cleaner design gave the emblem greater balance and legibility. This version became the club's most iconic standalone symbol and remained closely associated with AS Nancy-Lorraine for almost a quarter of a century.

A dramatic change came in 1994 when president Jacques Rousselot launched a complete rebranding of the club. The historic thistle was incorporated into a bold ASNL wordmark dominated by blue, a colour that had not previously been central to the club's identity. The new slogan, "La rage de réussir" ("The determination to succeed"), was added beneath the initials, reflecting the club's new commercial image. While modern for its time, the departure from the traditional red-and-white identity proved divisive among supporters.

In 2006, AS Nancy-Lorraine returned to its roots with a new shield-shaped crest. The club restored its traditional red-and-white colours, made the Lorraine thistle the central feature once again, and reinstated the historic motto "Qui s'y frotte s'y pique." Two red diagonal bands were also incorporated into the badge, inspired by details from the club's historic playing shirts. The redesign successfully reconnected the club with its heritage while presenting a modern visual identity.

The crest was refined again in 2013. The shield became predominantly white, allowing the historic red thistle to stand out more prominently, while the founding year 1967 was added beneath the emblem. The overall design was simplified, with cleaner geometry and greater emphasis on the club's traditional colours and symbols. According to the club, the redesign was intended to restore the historic thistle to the heart of its visual identity.

In 2018, AS Nancy-Lorraine introduced the current version of its crest. The overall shield shape and thistle were retained, but "ASNL" was replaced by "Nancy Lorraine" to strengthen the club's regional identity and improve brand recognition. The historic motto was removed from the badge to create a cleaner design, while the thistle and the founding year remained central elements. 

AS Nancy-Lorraine Club History

Founded in 1967, Association Sportive Nancy-Lorraine was created to preserve professional football in the city of Nancy after the collapse of FC Nancy. Led by club founder Claude Cuny, the ambitious rescue initiative known as "BP 17" gained the support of more than 2,000 local members, allowing the newly formed club to be admitted directly into the French Second Division. From the outset, AS Nancy-Lorraine represented not only the city of Nancy but the wider Lorraine region, a connection reflected in both its name and its emblem featuring the historic Lorraine thistle.

The club progressed rapidly, earning promotion to the French top flight just three years after its foundation. AS Nancy won its first Division 2 championship in 1975 and soon established itself among the country's leading clubs. The defining figure of this era was Michel Platini, a product of the club's academy, who emerged as one of Europe's greatest footballers while wearing the Nancy shirt. In 1978, Platini scored the winning goal as AS Nancy defeated OGC Nice to lift the Coupe de France, securing the club's first major trophy and qualification for European competition.

Following Platini's departure to Saint-Étienne in 1979, Nancy remained competitive for several seasons but eventually entered a more difficult period. Relegation in 1987 was followed by years of alternating between the first and second divisions. Despite these fluctuations, the club continued to develop talented players through its academy, producing internationals such as Tony Cascarino, Michaël Chrétien, Clément Lenglet, Benoît Pedretti and Jonathan Brison.

A new era began in 2002 under manager Pablo Correa, who rescued the club from the threat of relegation to the third tier before leading Nancy back to Ligue 1 by winning the 2004–05 Ligue 2 title. The following season brought another historic achievement as AS Nancy defeated OGC Nice to win the 2006 Coupe de la Ligue, the club's second major domestic trophy. Nancy also enjoyed memorable European nights, reaching the UEFA Cup Round of 32 in 2006–07 after eliminating Schalke 04, and later achieved an impressive fourth-place finish in Ligue 1 during the 2007–08 season.

After relegation from Ligue 1 in 2013, the club rebuilt under Pablo Correa once again, winning the 2015–16 Ligue 2 championship to earn an immediate return to the top flight. However, sustained financial and sporting difficulties followed, leading to relegation to the Championnat National in 2022. After two seasons in the third tier, AS Nancy-Lorraine won the 2024–25 National championship, securing promotion back to Ligue 2 and marking another important step in the club's recovery.

AS Nancy-Lorraine's biggest rivalry is with FC Metz in the Derby Lorrain (Lorraine Derby), one of the fiercest regional rivalries in French football. Dating back to the club's formation in 1967, the fixture is contested for supremacy in the Lorraine region and has often been classified among France's highest-risk matches due to the intensity of the rivalry between both sets of supporters.

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