Limoges Cercle Saint-Pierre, commonly referred to as Limoges CSP or CSP, is a professional basketball club based in the city of Limoges, France. The club competes in the highest tier, the LNB Élite, and has won the French championship 11 times, as well as the EuroLeague once, in 1993.
Contents
History
The club was founded in 1929, but its peak was during the 1980s and 1990s, when they became the first French club to win a major European-wide title in a team sport, by winning the FIBA European League (EuroLeague) in 1993.
In the 1999–2000 season, Limoges won its 9th top-tier level French League title, but it was relegated to the French second division LNB Pro B, after winning it, because of financial problems. The club didn't get back to its old state for a long time, as it spent the next 3 years in the Pro A, but was relegated again in 2004 after finishing dead last. Starting with the 2004–05 season, Limoges played in the NM1, the French third division, due to continued financial problems. It took the club six seasons to eventually return to the Pro A.
In the 2013–14 season, Limoges returned to its old glory, as the team captured its 10th French League national championship, by beating Strasbourg IG 0–3 in the French League Finals. Alex Acker was named Finals MVP.
The club thus qualified for the 2014–15 EuroLeague by winning the French League championship, which would be their first appearance in the top European-wide league in 17 seasons. In the EuroLeague, Limoges lost 8 out of 10 games, managing to win against UNICS and Cedevita, before being relegated to the European-wide second tier level EuroCup. In the EuroCup Round of 32, Limoges was eliminated, after finishing 3rd in Group J. In the French Pro A, Limoges once again had a successful season. In the regular season, Limoges finished in 3rd place behind JSF Nanterre and Strasbourg IG, but in the French League playoffs, they made up for that. In the French League Finals, Limoges beat Strasbourg 1–3, to win back-to-back French League titles. Ousmane Camara was named Finals MVP.
Under pressure from local authorities and after considering various options, Céline Forte finally agreed to the sale of the club on june 9. Following its takeover by Lionel Peluhet, the CSP was ultimately accepted into the BetClic Elite for the 2024-2025 season. On january 13, 2025 the day after a loss to Le Portel (77-98), head coach Jean-Marc Dupraz was suspended and replaced by his assistant Mikko Larkas. In april 2026, following a string of losses (10 out of the last 13 games), Dario Gjergja was suspended and replaced on an interim basis by Arnaud Tessier
Arena
Limoges plays its home games at the Palais des Sports de Beaublanc, which has a seating capacity of 6,500 people.
The Palais des sports was inaugurated on november 28, 1981, in the presence of Minister Charles Hernu and the senator-mayor of Limoges Louis Longequeue, CSP hosts ASVEL Basket for the occasion although the first match had already taken place on october 14, 1981.
The project for a Palais des sports first emerged in 1955: at the initiative of Albert Chaminade (1912-2009), a proposal was put forward to roof over the 4,000-seat Beaublanc basketball court a facility that had been abandoned since the early 1960s.
The city of Limoges, through its mayor, Emile-Roger Lombertie has initiated the transformation of the Beaublanc site; the project includes the construction of two annex halls for the Beaublanc sports hall. The provisional schedule targets the completion of these two annex halls by mid-2027, followed by the restructuring of the sports hall itself (2027-2029).
Roster
Honours
Domestic competitions
French League
Winners (11): 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1999–00, 2013–14, 2014–15
Runners-up (4): 1986–87, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1997–98
French Cup
Winners (1): 1999–00
Runners-up (2): 2010–11, 2011–12
Leaders Cup
Winners (2): 1988, 1990
Runners-up (2): 1991, 1992
French Super Cup
Winners (1): 2012
Federation Cup (defunct)
Winners (3): 1981–82, 1982–83, 1984–85
League Cup (defunct)
Winners (2): 1993–94, 1994–95
French League Pro B
Winners (2): 2000–01, 2011–12
European competitions
EuroLeague
Winners (1): 1992–93
3rd place (1): 1989–90
4th place (1): 1994–95
Final Four (3): 1990, 1993, 1995
FIBA Saporta Cup (defunct)
Winners (1): 1987–88
FIBA Korać Cup (defunct)
Winners (3): 1981–82, 1982–83, 1999–00
Runners-up (1): 1986–87
European Basketball Club Super Cup (semi-official, defunct)
Runners-up (1): 1985
Worldwide competitions
McDonald's Championship
3rd place (1): 1991
4th place (1): 1993
Other competitions
FIBA International Christmas Tournament (defunct)
4th place (1): 1990
Tournoi de Beaublanc
Winners (1): 2014
Tournoi de Bourge
Winners (1): 2014
Tarere, France Invitational Game
Winners (1): 2015
St. Chamond & St. Étienne, France Invitational Game
Winners (1): 2015
Individual club awards
Small Triple Crown
Winners (3): 1982–83, 1987–88, 1999–00
Supporters and rivalries
The club has a large fan-base, with a dedicated ultras group called Ultras Green.
Their biggest rival is another legendary French club Pau-Orthez, and they have been trading blows with one another for national supremacy on the hardwood, both figuratively and literally, since the early 1980s. In the 22 seasons between 1983 and 2004, the two clubs combined for 18 French League championships, and multiple games between the two teams resulted in fights among the players, including one that ended in a brawl between Élan supporters and Limoges players, at the old Orthez venue, La Moutète.
Season by season
Season by season results of the club in national league, national cup and European-wide competitions.