A fratricidal quarter-final of the French Football Cup pits Toulouse FC against Rodez Aveyron Football Club (RAF) on Wednesday March 1, 2023 at 6:45 p.m. Before this highly anticipated meeting, what are the five differences between the two clubs?
French football cup 2023
The rivalry is not as strong as a Lyon / Saint-Etienne derby or a Lille / Lens but regional pride will transpire during this quarter-final of the Coupe de France football. Toulouse FC faces Rodez, this March 1, 2023 at 6:45 p.m., in a match that could become historic for both clubs.
A place in the semi-finals is at stake. Before this match, let’s play the game of the five differences between the two clubs, beyond the sporting dimension naturally favorable to Téfécé.
Despite its poor performance on the ground of Reims on Sunday (3-0 defeat), the Violets are experiencing a positive second half of the season in the league, in addition to a perfect course in the Coupe de France. 11th with 11 points ahead of the first relegation playerthe Tef can see coming.
It’s the opposite for Rodez, who slipped to last place in Ligue 2 this weekend after their home defeat against Bastia (0-2). There is an emergency for the Ruthenians, who have not won in the league since December 30, 2022.
This is also the priority for coach Didier Santini, who was at a press conference this Tuesday, February 28: “the most important thing is Saturday against Niort“.
Contrary to what one might imagine, Rodez is older than Toulouse. The Aveyron club is approaching its 100th anniversary (created in 1929) while the Toulouse club was officially created in 1970.
Officially, because the Toulouse club had several “versions”, before being as it is today. A first in 1937 when the team notably won the Coupe de France in 1957.
It was dissolved in 1967 due to mismanagement by the then president.before being reborn under the name of Union Sportive de Toulouse in 1970: it kept this name for a while before becoming Toulouse FC again.
If we take into account the entire existence of Toulouse FC, the club won a Coupe de France in 1957 and 4 Ligue 2 championships (1953, 1982, 2003 et 2022).
It is much less on the side of the RAF which has, as a notable fact, a National champion trophy (3rd division) gleaned in 2019.
The size of a club is often judged by its stadium: between Téf and RAF, the difference is enormous. Even if the Stadium is far from being the largest stadium in France, it can accommodate more than 33,000 people.
Conversely, the small Paul-Lignon stadium has 3,700 seats, after work carried out this summer. But the supporters are only nearly 1,800 on average to fill the stands during Ligue 2 matches. It is the lowest attendance in the championship.
Nearly 4,000 Ruthénois are expected at the Stadium: it is therefore more than the capacity of the Paul-Lignon stadium.
In official competition, the sporting history is quite recent between the two clubs. But it is Rodez who is doing well: in the two previous seasons in Ligue 2, thee RAF has always won at home (twice 1-0)for a draw and a defeat (3-0) at the Stadium.
Not sure that this has an influence as the TFC has changed and is now solid in Ligue 1.
