Laval

Stade Lavallois were founded in Laval, in the Mayenne department, on 17 July 1902 as a multi-sport club started by 20-year-old Joseph Gemain, with Emile Sinoir as first president. The club adopted tango orange shirts in September 1923, and the tango and black colours give them the nickname Les Tango. Since the early 1970s they have played at the Stade Francis-Le Basser, named after the doctor who was club president from 1934 until his death in 1974.

Laval reached the top flight in 1976 through a play-off against Red Star and stayed for 13 seasons until relegation in 1989. They finished fifth in 1982 and 1983, the second bringing their only European campaign, in the 1983-84 UEFA Cup, where they knocked out Dynamo Kyiv before losing to Austria Vienna. The club also won the Coupe de la Ligue of that era in 1984. After spells in the third tier, they won the Championnat National in 2021-22 and returned to Ligue 2.