French Football’s 3 Classic April Fools’ Pranks

On April 1 2014, Montpellier coach Rolland Courbis pretended to resign, calling the club president and announcing he would leave after the season. The prank was revealed later, and Courbis stayed on as coach, helping Montpellier avoid relegation.

In 2021, Chamois Niortais announced that pop star Patrick Bruel would become the club’s sporting director, a move that shocked fans and became a viral joke. The following year, amateur side US Reventin posted that former national coach Raymond Domenech would take charge of their third‑team squad in the district leagues, another tongue‑in‑cheek stunt.