RC Lens is one of French football’s most historic, passionate, and working-class institutions, based in the mining city of Lens, Pas-de-Calais. Universally known as "Les Sang et Or" (The Blood and Gold), the club competes in Ligue 1 and plays its home matches at the legendary 38,223-capacity Stade Bollaert-Delelis—a stadium capable of holding the entire population of the city itself.
Founded in 1906, RC Lens traditionally plays in gold shirts with red vertical stripes and black shorts, mirroring the local coal-mining heritage. Famous across Europe for its fiercely loyal fan base, electrifying matchday atmosphere, and working-class identity, Lens stands as a true cornerstone of Northern French sports culture.
The club achieved its ultimate domestic peak in 1998 by capturing its first Ligue 1 championship, followed by a Coupe de la Ligue title in 1999 and a run to the UEFA Cup semi-finals in 2000. In the modern era under Franck Haise, Lens executed a remarkable resurgence, finishing 2nd in Ligue 1 in 2023 to qualify for the UEFA Champions League group stage.
RC Lens contests French football’s most fiery regional rivalry against LOSC Lille, a high-stakes fixture known nationwide as the Northern Derby (Derby du Nord).
Lens (France)
