About RC Lens

RC Lens, commonly known as Lens, is a professional football club based in Lens, Pas-de-Calais in northern France. Competing in Ligue 1, the club plays its home matches at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.

Club History

Founded in 1906, RC Lens has been closely linked to the local core coal mining industry throughout its history, involving players, fans, investors and other stakeholders. In the 1936/37 season, the club finished as runners-up in the French second-tier league and secured promotion to the top flight. Lens was relegated to Ligue 2 in the 1946/47 season but returned to Ligue 1 in the 1949/50 season.

In the late 1960s, due to the decline of the coal mining industry, RC Lens faced deteriorating financial conditions and was relegated to the amateur leagues. With the support of the Lens municipal government, the club returned to Ligue 1 in the early 1970s. The 1976/77 season saw Lens finish as Ligue 1 runners-up. In the 1997/98 season, the club won its first Ligue 1 title in history.

Lens defeated Metz to claim the Coupe de la Ligue trophy in the 1998/99 season final. In the 2001/02 Ligue 1 campaign, the club narrowly missed the title by just 2 points. During the 2007/08 season, Lens appointed multiple head coaches but failed to improve its performance, resulting in relegation to Ligue 2.

Current Situation

In 2017, businessman Joseph Ougolnikov became the owner of RC Lens, marking a turning point in the club's development. The 2019/20 season saw Lens return to Ligue 1 as Ligue 2 runners-up. In the 2022/23 season, Lens finished as Ligue 1 runners-up, just 1 point behind champions Paris Saint-Germain. In the first round of the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League knockout stage, Lens lost 3-2 to Freiburg and was eliminated.

RC Lens finished 8th in Ligue 1 during the 2024/25 season.