On 2 April 1926, a club that smelled of the sea was born in a Breton port. FC Lorient grew up among fishermen and fish merchants and became one of the most likeable teams in France. On 2 April 2027 it turns 101, and the story of its shirt begins with a hand-knitted jumper.

A mother, a son and the harbour

Lorient's roots lie in La Marée Sportive, a team set up a year earlier. Behind it was Caroline Cuissard, a fish merchant at the fishing port of Keroman who came from Saint-Étienne, together with her son Joseph.

In 1926 the team took a new form as Football Club Lorientais, with Joseph Cuissard as its first president until 1931. The first players were fishermen, stokers and dock workers. Years later the founder's grandson, Antoine Cuissard, became one of the first players from the club to wear the shirt of the French national team.

The "Chequers" and the orange

La Marée Sportive wore a blue shirt with red trim. The new club brought something completely different: a shirt with orange ("tango") and black checks, like a chessboard. According to club tradition, the design resembled a jumper knitted by Charlotte Cuissard, the founder's daughter.

The press of the day immediately nicknamed the players "Les Damiers", the "Chequers". The sources do not explain why orange in particular was chosen, but the shade stayed for good. To this day the team is also called "les tangos et noirs", after its two colours.

For the centenary in 2026, Joma made a black anniversary shirt limited to just 1,926 numbered copies. On it the checks returned as a subtle tone-on-tone pattern, a tribute to Charlotte's jumper.

From gurnard to hake

The harbour shows in the badge too. The first emblem, a ceramic piece by Louis Andreatta, featured a gurnard inside a diamond. Later its place was taken by the hake (merlu), considered a "nobler" fish and one of the most popular at Breton fish markets.

In 1994 the diamond became a circle with the hake, and in 2010 came a shield with the Breton gwenn-ha-du flag and the year 1926. That fish also gave the team its best-known nickname: "Les Merlus", the Hakes.

The Moustoir and the Gourcuff era

Lorient's home is the Moustoir, which since 1993 has officially carried the name of former mayor Yves Allainmat. It holds around 18,000 spectators, and from 2010 to 2016 it had an artificial pitch, a rarity in the French top flight.

The man most identified with the club is Christian Gourcuff. He arrived in 1982 as player-coach and led the team in three spells, the last one until 2014. With him Lorient climbed back up the French football ladder and in 2010 finished 7th in Ligue 1, the best position in its history.

2002: the Cup at the Stade de France

The greatest moment came in 2002. Lorient beat Bastia 1-0 in the Coupe de France final at the Stade de France, with a goal from Jean-Claude Darcheville in the 41st minute. It was the club's first major trophy, and the same year it also reached the League Cup final.

The Moustoir has also been a springboard for talent. Kevin Gameiro, Laurent Koscielny, André-Pierre Gignac and Seydou Keita all passed through, and Yoann Gourcuff, son of the legendary coach, started his career here.

Celebrate with us

From a jumper on the dockside to the Stade de France, Lorient has proved that a fishing town can have a huge footballing heart. Its orange is now one of the most recognisable colours in France.

Happy birthday, Lorient! May you keep sailing on orange waves for another hundred years.

See our FC Lorient jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: The Moustoir stadium in Lorient – NORMOTE, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.