US Monastir (football)

Union Monastirienne

Full name	Union Sportive Monastirienne
Nickname(s)	Sons of the capital of The Big of sahel (كبير الساحل)
Founded	17 March 1923 (17 March 1923)
Ground	Mustapha Ben Jannet Stadium Monastir, Tunisia
Capacity	22,000
Chairman	Amir Hizem (interim)
Manager	Mohamed Sahli
League	Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1
2023–24	Ligue 1, 2nd of 14
Website	http://usmonastir.org.tn
Home colours Away colours

Union Sportive Monastirienne (Arabic: الاتحاد الرياضي المنستيري), known as US Monastir or simply USM for short, is a Tunisian football club based in Monastir. The club was founded in 1923 and its colours are blue and white. Their home stadium, Mustapha Ben Jannet Stadium, has a capacity of 20,000 spectators. The club is currently playing in the Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1.

Founded in 1923 under the name Ruspina Sports, it was renamed Union Sportive Monastirienne in 1942. The new name reflects the union between Ruspina Sports and other clubs in town (swimming, petanque, etc.) and the Nationalists of Monastir (like Mustapha Ben Jannet). Monastir has won two trophies in its history, as it won both the Tunisian Cup and Tunisian Super Cup in 2020.

History

Beginnings (1923–1956)

After being founded in 1923, Ruspina Sports was officially renamed US Monastir on 13 June 1942, the date of publication in the official journal of the decree of her creation.

Ribat of Monastir which is one of the important monuments of Monastir that gave the nickname of the team.

At the end of the 1930s, Ruspina Sports experienced innumerable financial difficulties and a series of disgraces within the general public which, far from being insensitive to the misdeeds of colonialism, resolutely committed against it by creating teams of neighborhoods. Just as Ruspina Sports is in decline, voices are being raised to unify the other teams and create a kind of unique selection. On 13 June 1942, the decree creating USM was signed and the new association inherited Ruspina Sports' credit balance, i.e. 5,395 Tunisian francs.

If the end of the war coincided with a renewed interest and enthusiasm among the Monastirians for football, the USM has more than one hundred players, half of whom play in the senior team and the second half in the junior categories, the following years will be more difficult.

After independence (1956–1979)

Habib Bourguiba, the first president of Tunisia, who supported USM a lot after independence.

With the independence of Tunisia, USM knew a turning point. In the field, USM did not win any titles either in the Tunisian Cup or in the league. Each time, the USM returned to the charge and, after its successive relegations, goes back to the first division. It is during the 1961–1962 season that the USM reached for the first time in the national division after having spent two seasons in the third division (1957-1958 and 1958–1959) and one season (1959–1960) in the honor division.

Results between rise and fall (1980–2019)

The club's son, Faouzi Benzarti, is the most successful Tunisian coach

The 1980s were a turning point for the club, which became semi-professional and allowed the team to remain in the national division for fourteen consecutive years. During the same season, USM qualified for the quarter-finals of the Tunisian Cup but lost in Monastir against the Club African (1–0) during the overtime session. With eight wins, eight losses and ten draws, USM occupied a comfortable fifth place.

This situation does not last and the 1993–1994 season promised to be very difficult on all fronts and more particularly material. Four coaches followed one another to help a team in crisis since it suffered from several shortcomings. During the 1994–1995 season, the team found itself relegated to the third division according to the new organization of the Tunisian Football Federation. During the 1995–1996 season, Habib Allègue took the reins of the team which managed to win and advance to the honor division (southern pool) before returning to League I two seasons later and maintaining his position. In July 2006, Néji Stambouli succeeded Zouhair Chaouch, in place for six years, at the head of the club.

On 3 May 2009, after a victory against Esperance Sportif de Tunis at Stade El Menzah, on the score of three goals to two, the club qualified for the first Tunisian Cup final in its history: it opposed CS Sfaxien on May 24 at the November 7 stadium in Radès, and ends with a score of 1 to 0 for the Sfaxiens with the presence of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

At the end of the 2009–2010 season, the club was relegated to Ligue II.

However, the team re-promoted to the first division after one season, and its ranking ranged between fifth and tenth in the following years until it relegated in 2015 and the team spent two seasons in the second division before rising again in 2017.

Lassaad Chabbi guided the team to win the Tunisian Cup.

After that, the teams presented respectable levels after the assignment of coach Skandar Kasri and Lassaad Dridi to finish the ranking in 2019 in seventh place.

Golden generation (2019–)

And at the beginning of the 2019 season, a contract was signed with Lassaad Chabbi. The 2019–2020 season the team managed to take third place in the national league, which enabled it to participate in a continental competition for the first time in its history, namely the 2020–21 CAF Confederation Cup.

As for the Tunisian Cup (named the Habib Bourguiba Cup this season, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of his death), the team managed to win it for the first time in its history, after beating Espérance Tunis in the final 2–0.

After Chabbi resigned from coaching the team, Afouène Gharbi, who finished the season in tenth place, was appointed. The team then contracted with Mourad Okbi, who succeeded in winning the team's second title in its history by obtaining the Tunisian Super Cup.

Official honours

2009 Tunisian Cup Final between CS Sfaxien and US Monastir.

Honours

• Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1

Runners-up: 2021–22, 2023–24

Third place: 2019–20

• Tunisian Cup

Winner: 2019–20

• Tunisian Super Cup

Winner: 2019–20

Runner up: 2008–09

• Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 2

Champions: 1975–76, 1979–80, 1997–98, 2010–11

African competitions

• CAF Champions League: 2 appearance

2022–23 – Second Round

2024–25 – Second Round

• CAF Confederation Cup: 2 appearances

2020–21 – Second Round

2022–23 – Quarter-finals

Regional competitions

• Arab Club Champions Cup: 4 appearances

2006–07 – Round of 32

2007–08 – Round of 32

2008–09 – Quarter-finals

2022–23 – Group stage

Colors

The colors of US Monastir are white and blue. At home, the player wears a blue jersey, blue shorts and white socks. Outside of Monastir, the player wears a white jersey, white shorts and blue socks.

• 
  US Monastir's Press Conference Room Logo
• 
  A boutique in Monastir honoring the colors of the team

Players

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	TUN	Rayen Besbes
2	DF	ALG	Nassim Mekidèche
4	DF	TUN	Wael Ben Othmane
5	DF	CIV	Naude Zeguei
6	MF	COD	Benny Mongo
7	FW	TUN	Ahmed Jafeli
8	MF	TUN	Haytham Dhaou
9	FW	MLI	Elhadji Omar Fall
10	MF	TUN	Faissal Mannai
12	DF	TUN	Fourat Soltani
18	MF	TUN	Adem Kouraichi
20	DF	TUN	Chiheb Salhi
32	GK	TUN	Moses Orkuma (captain)

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
22	GK	TUN	Sadok Yedes
23	MF	TUN	Idriss Mhirsi
24	GK	TUN	Ahmed Slimane
26	DF	TUN	Dhiaeddine Jouini
27	MF	TUN	Mohamed Aziz Ouerfelli
28	FW	MTN	Yassin El Welly
30	FW	TUN	Chiheb Jebali
33	GK	TUN	Charfeddine Nasreli
--	DF	TUN	Malek Miladi
--	MF	TUN	Louay Trayi
--	MF	TUN	Riadh Frioui
--	FW	TUN	Anas Bouati

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	GK	TUN	Zied Lazreg (on loan to AS Menzel Ennour)
—	MF	TUN	Zahreddine Sassi (on loan to CS M'saken)

Current technical staff

Role	Name
Manager	Mohamed Sahli
Assistant manager	?

Managers

Nat	Name	Period
	Hassouna Denguezli	1957–1958
	Slaïem Belhaj Ali	1958–1959
	Mokhtar Ben Nacef	1959–1961
	Rudi Gutendorf	1961–1962
	Ahmed Benfoul	1962–1963
	Ferenc Locsey	1963–1967
	Ameur Hizem	1967–1968
	Mustapha Jouili	1968–1970
	Miodrag Georgeovic	1970–1972
	Hammadi Henia	1972–1973
	Khemais Chkir	1973–1974
	Mustapha Jouili	1974–1975
	Kamel Benzarti	1975–1976
	Ameur Hizem	1976–1978
	Ammar Hedhili	1978–1979
	Faouzi Benzarti	1979–1982
	Dieter Schulte	1982–1983
	Radojica Radojičić	1983–1984
	Hamid Zouba	1984–1985
	Lotfi Benzarti	1985–1987

Nat	Name	Period
	Ameur Dhib	1987–1988
	Gerhard Wolfgang	1988–1989
	Dominique Bathenay Jean-Pierre Brucato	1989–1990
	Manfred Höner	1990–1991
	Faouzi Benzarti	1991–1992
	Bouzid Cheniti	1992–1993
	Ameur Hizem	1993–1994
	Kamel Chebli	1994
	Salah Guedich	1995–1996
	Jean-Yves Chay	1996–1997
	Lotfi Benzarti	1997–1999
	Habib Majeri	1999–2000
	Léon Semmeling	2000
	Ali Fergani	2000–2001
	Lotfi Benzarti	2001–2004
	Lotfi Rhim	2004–2005
	Faouzi Benzarti	2005–2006
	Samir Jouili	2006–2007
	Antoine Hey	2007–2008

Nat	Name	Period
	Lotfi Rhim	2008–2009
	Henri Depireux	2009–2010
	Jalel Kadri	2010–2011
	Rachid Belhout	2011
	Dragan Cvetković	2011–2012
	Chiheb Ellili	2012–2013
	Lotfi Benzarti	2013
	Mourad Okbi	2013–2015
	Samir Jouili	2015
	Lotfi Kadri	2015–2016
	Lotfi Rhim	2016–2017
	Skander Kasri	2017–2018
	Lassaad Dridi	2018–2019
	Lassaad Chabbi	2019–2021
	Afouène Gharbi	2021
	Mourad Okbi	2021
	Faouzi Benzarti	2021–2022
	Darko Nović	2022–2023
	Imed Ben Younes	2023
	Tarek Jani	2023
	Mohamed Kouki	2023–2024
	Lassaad Chabbi	2024
	Mohamed Sahli	2024–present

Presidents

Abdelwahab Abdallah, who was one of the team's presidents in the 1980s.

The first president of the club is the French Joseph Kalfati, followed by four other French: Peteche, Georges Rambi, Renaud and Fenech, while the first Tunisian president is Mohamed Salah Sayadi who takes the head of the club in 1929.

N°	Nat	Name	Period		N°	Nat	Name	Period
1		Bechir Charnine	1955–1956		16		Zouhair Chaouche	1996–1999
2		Mohamed Salah Chedly	1956–1962		17		Ali Benzarti	1999–2002
3		Mahmoud Chaouche	1962–1963		18		Zouhair Chaouche	2002–2006
4		Allala Laouiti	1963–1980		19		Neji Stambouli	2006–2008
5		Mohamed El May	1980–1981		20		Frej Meddeb	2008–2009
6		Abdelwahab Abdallah	1981–1982		21		Zouhair Chaouche / Riadh Bhouri	2009–2010
7		Hedi Benzarti	1982–1983		22		Hedi Benzarti	2010–2011
8		Moncef Skhiri	1983–1985		23		Ahmed Belli	2011–2014
9		Naceur Ktari	1985–1988		24		Salem Harzallah / Ali Mzali	2014–2015
10		Hedi Benzarti	1988–1990		25		Hamed Zenati	2015–2016
11		Slaheddine Ferchiou	1990–1992		26		Ahmed Belli	2016–2023
12		Naceur Ktari	1992–1993		27		Amir Hizem (interim)	2023–present
13		Abdelkader Aguir	1993–1994
14		Mohamed El May / Naceur Skandrani	1994–1995
15		Habib Allegue	1995–1996

Home stadium

The home stadium of US Monastir

The home stadium of US Monastir is the Mustapha Ben Jannet Stadium which is a multi-use stadium in Monastir, Tunisia. It was used for the 2004 African Cup of Nations. The stadium holds 20,000 people and sometimes, it's used as a home for Tunisia national football team.

It was inaugurated in 1958, this stadium with suspended tiers thanks to the technique of "cantilevered ball joint" used by the architect Olivier-Clément Cacoub initially offers a capacity of 3,000 places. Over time, several expansion works were carried out: its capacity was increased in the late 1990s to more than 10,000 places. On the occasion of the organization of the 2004 African Cup of Nations, new works allow to reach a capacity of 20,000 places.

The stadium is integrated into the sports complex of the city of Monastir, Tunisia, located a few hundred meters from the city center.

Rival clubs

• Étoile Sportive du Sahel (Derby)

External links

• (Fr), (Ar) Official website
• (en) www.sofascore.com
• (en) Official Instagram Account