Montpellier HSC (abbreviated as "Montpellier"), established in 1919, was originally called "Montpellier Olympic Stadium" (until it merged with "Montpellier Football" in 1974). It is a professional football club located in Montpellier, Occitanie. Montpellier is one of the founding members of the top tier of French football (1932). Among the clubs in the top tier, it is the only one, besides Marseille, Rennes, Sochaux, and Nice, that participated in the 1932-1933 season.
The club's most glorious moment came in the 2011-12 season when they won their first Ligue 1 title in history. In that legendary season, they outperformed the financially strong Paris Saint-Germain, ultimately finishing on top with a 3-point advantage, and Olivier Giroud was awarded the league's top scorer. In addition to the league title, Montpellier has also lifted the Coupe de France twice (1929, 1990), won the Coupe de la Ligue in 1992, and secured the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1999.
French legendary defender and former national team coach Laurent Blanc is an iconic figure of the club and its all-time top scorer. Stars such as Eric Cantona, Roger Milla, Carlos Valderrama, and later Olivier Giroud have all played here. The club has been under the control of the Nicolin family since 1974.