French Football’s 3 Classic April Fools’ Pranks

Montpellier’s manager Rolland Courbis pretended to resign on the morning of April 1, 2014, only to reveal it was a joke. In 2021, Chamois Niortais announced that French singer Patrick Bruel would become the club’s sporting director, a move that left fans amused. And in 2022, US Reventin posted that former national coach Raymond Domenech had joined their third team in the fourth tier of the district leagues, another tongue‑in‑cheek stunt.

These pranks are part of a long‑standing French football tradition that keeps clubs, players and media on their toes every April 1.