# Étoile Charleville-Mézières

Étoile Charleville-Mézières (French pronunciation:, "Charleville-Mézières Star") is a French professional basketball club, that is based in Charleville-Mézières. The team currently plays in the Nationale Masculine 1 (3rd division of the French basketball championship)

## History

The club founded in 1921 in Charleville-Mézières. In 1958, the club moved to Charleville and after the merger of Charleville Mézières and in 1966, the association became Etoile of Charleville-Mézières. Ardenne's club disappears from the top French level, then it rises in national 2 (NM2) in 1999, NM1 in 2004 and Pro B in 2005 before declining in NM1 after the season 2005- 2006. At the end of the 2007–2008 season, the Etoile of Charleville Mézières back in Pro B being second NM1 and during the 2008–2009 season, the Etoile of Charleville Mézières surprised everyone by integrating into the play- Pro B offs while back only 1 of the National.
The club plays at the Salle Dubois-Crancé, but manages to negotiate to play matches at the Salle Bayard from 2011 onwards until a common facility with 2,903 seats is available in hall B of the exhibition center. This new hall, called Caisse d'Epargne Arena following a partnership agreement, was inaugurated in September 2015.
Ending last Pro B in the 2010–11 season, the team is demoted in NM1 but there remains one season: it is promoted in Pro B at the end of the 2011–12 season NM1 winning the final of the playoffs against Blois. The Etoile of Charleville Mézières is only one season in Pro B in NM1 and down for the 2013–14 season. But she did not stay long because for the 2014–15 season will be again in Pro B, despite the announcement of his late accession. After six wins for twenty-eight losses in the 2017-2018 French Pro B Basketball Championship, the Etoile is relegated to NM1 for the following season.
In the summer of 2019, the club is administratively relegated to NM2.
Six years after leaving it, the Charleroi club will return to National 1! A place that the FFBB granted it in relation to its excellent 2023/2024 season in National 2 (3rd, 18 wins / 8 losses) and the delicate financial situation experienced by many elite clubs, Pro B, National 1 and National 2.

## Sports results
### Awards

French League 2
* Winners (1): 1954–55
French Cup
* Winners (2): 1957–58, 1958–59
French League
* Winners (2): 1957–58, 1959–60
European Champion Clubs Cup
* 1/4 finals (1): 1958-59
NM1
* Vice-champion (1): 2007-08
NM1
* Play-Off Champion (1): 2011-12
NM1
* Play-Off finalist (1): 2013-14

### Report by season

| Season | Div. | Rank. | %Vic | Vic | Def | Playoffs | French Cup | Leaders Cup | Coach |
| 2002-2003 | NM2 | 1st | - | - | - | - | - | - | Mike Gonsalves |
| 2003-2004 | NM1 | 3rd | 66,6% | 20 | 10 | - | - | - | Mike Gonsalves |
| 2004-2005 | Pro B | 16th | 21,8% | 7 | 25 | - | First phase | - | Mike Gonsalves |
| 2005-2006 | Pro B | 18th | 32,3% | 11 | 23 | - | Second phase | - | Mike Gonsalves - Youssou Cissé |
| 2006-2007 | NM1 | 3rd | 76,4% | 26 | 8 | - | First phase | - | Nikola Antić |
| 2007-2008 | NM1 | 2nd | 76,4% | 26 | 8 | - | Second phase | - | Nikola Antić |
| 2008-2009 | Pro B | 6th | 38,2% | 13 | 21 | Quarter finals | - | - | Nikola Antić |
| 2009-2010 | Pro B | 12th | 38,2% | 13 | 21 | - | First phase | - | Nikola Antić |
| 2010-2011 | Pro B | 18th | 17,6% | 6 | 28 | - | First phase | - | Rodrigue M'Baye - Francis Charneux |
| 2011-2012 | NM1 | 4th | 70,5% | 24 | 10 | Winner | First phase | - | Francis Charneux |
| 2012-2013 | Pro B | 18th | 14,7% | 5 | 29 | - | First phase | - | Francis Charneux |
| 2013-2014 | NM1 | 3rd | 70,5% | 24 | 10 | Finalist | First phase | - | Cédric Heitz |
| 2014-2015 | Pro B | 16th | 35,2% | 12 | 22 | | Round of 16 | Pro B : Group phase | Cédric Heitz |
| 2015-2016 | Pro B | 11th | 50% | 17 | 17 | | Quarter finals | Quarter finals | Cédric Heitz |
| 2016-2017 | Pro B | 5th | 55,8% | 19 | 15 | Quarter finals | Round of 32 | Pro B : Group phase | Cédric Heitz |
| 2017-2018 | Pro B | 18th | 17,6% | 6 | 28 | - | Round of 16 | Pro B : Group phase | Alexandre Casimiri |
| 2018-2019 | NM1 | 8th | 46,1% | 12 | 14 | - | Round of 64 | - | Alexandre Casimiri |
| 2019-2020 | NM2 | 5th | 63,1% | 12 | 7 | - | - | - | Fabien Calvez |
| 2020-2021 | NM2 | 4th | 80% | 4 | 1 | - | - | - | Fabien Calvez |
| 2021-2022 | NM2 | 4th | 61,5% | 16 | 10 | - | - | - | Fabien Calvez |
| 2022-2023 | NM2 | 8th | 42,3% | 11 | 15 | - | - | - | Jimmy Ploegaerts |
| 2023-2024 | NM2 | 3rd | 69,2% | 18 | 8 | - | - | - | Jimmy Ploegaerts |

## Players and personalities
### Notable players

* Frédéric Bourdillon
* François De Pauw
* Jean-Paul Beugnot
* Martin Hermannsson

### Coaches

* 19??-1956: Roland Marlet
* 1956-1958: Jean-Paul Beugnot
* 1958-1967: Jean Perniceni
* 2002-2006: Mike Gonsalves
* March 2006-June 2006: Youssou Cissé
* 2007-2010: Nikola Antić
* 2010-December 2010: Rodrigue M'Baye
* December 2010-2013: Francis Charneux
* 2013-2017: Cédric Heitz
* 2017-2019: Alexandre Casimiri
* 2019-2022: Fabien Calvez
* 2022-present: Jimmy Ploegaerts