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27-767: The first governing body of football in France was the USFSA , which was the country's sports governing body , founded in November 1890. The USFSA only managed amateur sports, so not boxing or cycling , which had the Union Vélocipédique de France (UVF). However, some UVF clubs founded sports sections other than cycling, and as a result, they left this federation and founded the French Amateur Cycling Federation (FCAF) in 1905, which had

54-523: A football department. As for the professionals, there was the Federation of Athletic Societies of France , which changed its name to Federation of Professional Athletic Societies of France (FSAPF) in 1906. Furthermore, a myriad of federations appeared in regions that did not want to depend on Paris, which was so far away, such as FASO in the South-West. This disorder did not bother anyone because it

81-573: A one off game between Racing Club de France and Stade Français . The game was refereed by Pierre de Coubertin and saw Racing win 4–3. Racing were awarded the Bouclier de Brennus , which is still awarded to the winners of the French championship today. The trophy was the idea of de Coubertin, who commissioned Charles Brennus, a member of the USFSA and a professional engraver , to design it. In 1894

108-416: A rival organization to the USFSA due to the organization's constantly disagreeing with each other, mainly due to the latter's opposition to professionalism in sport. However, it was the USFSA who was on the right track, but then made a huge mistake: it slammed the door on FIFA in 1908. The CFI, on the lookout, rushed to take the vacated place, thus becoming France's sole federation recognized by FIFA. In 1912,

135-525: The 1912 Summer Olympics . The USFSA later developed friction with FIFA and the IOC, which led to disorganization, and in 1913, it was forced to take the humiliating step of applying for admission to the CFI, becoming semi-affiliated with it. All the federations making up the CFI kept their autonomy, so each of them had three selectors for a total of 12 selectors for the French national team . The CFI gradually received

162-629: The Comité Français Interfédéral (CFI). The CFI organised the Trophée de France which would challenge the USFSA equivalent, the Coupe National , as the recognised French championship. In 1907 the USFSA fell out with FIFA when the latter refused to admit the (English) Amateur Football Association . FIFA only recognised one national association per country, and so stood by the (English) Football Association , whereupon

189-600: The Comité pour la Propagation des Exercises Physiques . This group was also known as the Comité Jules Simon . The USFSA was founded in November 1890 when these two groups merged. Initially the USFSA was centred in Paris but its membership soon expanded to include sports clubs from throughout France. In 1891 when the USFSA organised its first athletics championship, Henri Didon , as honorary president, announced that

216-853: The Fédération Gymnastique et Sportive des Patronages de France (FGSPF), led by Charles Simon and Henri Delaunay and supported by the Catholic Church , also began organising competitions. In 1906 the Fédération Cycliste et Amateur de France (FCAF), a forerunner of the Fédération Française de Cyclisme also began to organise a football championship. In 1907 the FGSPF and the FCAF, together with several regional organisations that also organised football formed

243-558: The CFI made the strategic decision to focus exclusively on association football. The headquarters of the CFI remained at the same location as the FGSPF: 5 Place Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin in Paris. In 1907, the CFI organized its inaugural championship, the so-called Trophée de France , which featured a trophy donated by Pierre de Coubertin himself. Following the debacle at the 1908 Summer Olympics , in which France sent two teams, one controlled by

270-560: The Comité français interfédéral (CFI). The cup was named after Charles Simon, the Secretary-General of the CFI at the outbreak of World War I , who died in battle in 1915. Forty-eight clubs competed in the cup and Olympique Pantin defeated FC Lyon 3–0 in the final. Teams from the north and east of France were unable to compete due to World War I. Thirty-two teams competed in this round with sixteen others being given byes to

297-439: The USFSA also organised the first recognised French football championship . The first competition featured just four Paris teams and was organised on a knockout basis with Standard Athletic Club beating White Rovers 2–0 after a replay. However, by 1896 it featured a league with nine teams and after 1899 the winners of a Paris League played off against the champions of other French regions and cities. In 1899 Le Havre AC became

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324-489: The USFSA and another by FIFA, the CFI ruled that FIFA would now be responsible for the club's appearances in forthcoming Olympic Games and not the USFSA. Being a founding member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the USFSA disagreed with the ruling and, despite having three years to reach an agreement, the CFI and the USFSA failed to, which led to France not sending a football team to

351-572: The USFSA emblem) during the FIFA Centennial celebration match against Brazil at Stade de France in May 2004. 1917%E2%80%9318 Coupe de France The 1917–18 Coupe de France (officially Coupe Charles–Simon 1917–18 ) was the first season of the most prestigious cup competition in France . The competition was open to all clubs who were affiliated with an organisation that was a member of

378-482: The USFSA football committee had also become a CFI affiliate and in 1919 the CFI was reorganised as the French Football Federation . 1919 was also the last year that the USFSA organized the Coupe National as a national football championship. As a tribute to the USFSA, the members of the France national football team wore a reproduction of the kit worn in their first match in 1904 (displaying

405-484: The USFSA football committee, was one of the principal movers behind the foundation of FIFA . He also served as its first president. On 29 December 1885 Georges de Saint-Clair, the secretary-general of Racing Club de France and delegates from Stade Français had formed the Union des Sociétés Françaises de Course a Pied . Then on 1 June 1888 Pierre de Coubertin , with the support of Jules Simon and Henri Didon , formed

432-615: The USFSA left FIFA. They were replaced as France's representative by the CFI. As a result, they also lost the right to select the national team . USFSA along with the AFA and Bohemian ČSF founded the UIAFA in March 1909, and two years later, they organized the 1911 UIAFA European Football Tournament , where the USFSA team was knocked-out in the semifinals by the Bohemian team. By 1913, however,

459-551: The banner of the CFI, which was able to bring together, without making them disappear, all the federations managing football in France, except for the USFSA and the FSAPF , thus becoming a superstructure grouping FGSPF, FCAF, and the LFA , plus other regional federations, such as the Lyon and South-East Cycling and Athletics Federation (FCALSE), exceeding 400 members. The CFI was then seen as

486-474: The first club from outside Paris to be declared French football champions . In 1900 the USFSA sent players from Parisian Club Français to represent France at the 1900 Summer Olympics . On 1 May 1904 the USFSA also selected the first official France national football team . They held Belgium to a 3–3 draw in Brussels In the same year, Robert Guérin , secretary of the USFSA football committee,

513-507: The growth of sport in France , the USFSA also helped pioneer the development of international sport. Among its founding members were Pierre de Coubertin , founder of the modern Olympic Games. In 1900, together with the Union Vélocipédique de France , it was also one of two federations that represented France at the inaugural meeting of the Union Cycliste Internationale . Then in 1904 Robert Guérin , secretary of

540-510: The next round. The matches were played on a regional basis on 7 October 1917. The sixteen teams that received a bye joined the sixteen winners of the First Round. The matches were played on 4 November 1917 and on a regional basis if possible. The matches were played on 18 November 1917. The match was played on 25 November 1917. The matches were played on 2 December 1917. The matches were played on 3 February 1918. FC Lyon-Stade Rennais

567-503: The organisation's motto would be Citius, Altius, Fortius (Faster, Higher, Stronger). In 1924 this motto would be adopted by the Olympic movement. The Olympic symbol of five interlinking rings was also based on a design used by the USFSA. Teams representing the organisation wore a uniform based on the colours of the flag of France . This included a white shirt with two interlinking rings, one red and one blue. The two rings represented

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594-465: The support of all football defenders and particularly that of Jules Rimet of Red Star, founder of the LFA (1910), who had joined the CFI in 1912. On 15 June 1915, Charles Simon passed away while on duty, and Henri Delaunay took over his responsibilities at the FGSPF and the CFI. The Trophée de France stopped that year but a similar competition was organized in 1916, under the name of Coupe de France , which

621-477: The two groups that had merged to form the USFSA while the Olympic version represented five continents. Pierre de Coubertin also hoped that the USFSA would be responsible for organising the 1900 Paris Olympics . However a dispute, which saw de Coubertin resign as USFSA secretary general in April 1899, meant this never happened On 20 March, 1892 the USFSA organised the first ever French rugby union championship,

648-612: Was a former sports governing body in France . During the 1890s and early 1900s it organised numerous sports including athletics , cycling , field hockey , fencing , croquet , and swimming . However it is perhaps best known for being the principal governing body of both football and rugby union until it was effectively replaced by the French Football Federation and the French Rugby Federation . The USFSA rejected any form of professionalism and were strong advocates of amateur sport . As well as contributing to

675-468: Was also one of the principal movers behind the foundation of FIFA . He also served as its first president. However the USFSA did not have a monopoly on organising football in France . Between 1896 and 1907 the Fédération des Sociétés Athlétiques Professionnelles de France (FSAPF), who as their name suggests advocated professionalism , also organised a championship. Then in 1905 a rival organisation

702-543: Was freedom in diversity, but then FIFA was founded and it stipulated that only one federation is recognized per country, so the USFSA joins FIFA and declares war on patronage. In response, Charles Simon , general secretary of the Gymnastic and Sports Federation of French Patronages (FGSPF), founds the French Interfederal Committee (CFI) on 23 March 1907. The excluded federations regroup under

729-712: Was itself replaced by the 1917–18 Charles Simon Cup , created by the CFI in honor of the fallen hero. The CFI was officially renamed the French Football Federation (FFF) on 7 April 1919, with Jules Rimet as president and Henri Delaunay as general secretary. The agreement between CFI, USFSA, FCAF, and LFA was made because each federation had "recognized that the sport of football had nothing to gain from seeing its efforts dispersed among four federations that were tearing each other apart". Union des Soci%C3%A9t%C3%A9s Fran%C3%A7aises de Sports Athl%C3%A9tiques The Union of French Athletic Sports Societies ( French : Union des sociétés françaises de sports athlétiques (USFSA) )

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