Strasbourg vs. Metz: The Derby de l’Est, Explained

Meetings between RC Strasbourg and FC Metz form one of French football’s most enduring regional rivalries. Known as the Derby de l’Est, the fixture is rooted not in immediate proximity but in shared history, identity and parallel sporting trajectories.

Separated by around 130 kilometres, Strasbourg and Metz are the historic capitals of Alsace and Lorraine, two neighbouring regions whose identities were shaped by repeated territorial changes between France and Germany during the 19th and 20th centuries. That common past — within the former entity of Alsace-Lorraine — gives the derby a depth that extends well beyond league position.

Two Clubs, One Trajectory

The Racing Club de Strasbourg, founded in 1906 as FC Neudorf, and FC Metz, established in 1919 as Cercle Athlétique Messin, quickly became the dominant football institutions in their respective cities. From the outset, their development followed strikingly similar lines.

During the interwar period, both clubs were leading forces in their regional championships before meeting in 1927 in the final phase of the French amateur championship. Their first league derby came with the creation of Division 2 in 1933–34, marking the beginning of a regular competitive relationship.

With the exception of the Second World War — when the clubs were assigned to different German leagues (Gauliga Elsass and Gauliga Westmark) — Strasbourg and Metz met consistently in Division 1, later renamed Ligue 1 in 2002. As both clubs experienced sporting decline in the late 2000s, the derby also became a familiar fixture in Ligue 2.

A Rivalry Measured in Numbers

By the end of the 2010–11 season, Strasbourg and Metz had faced each other 114 times in official competition, including 92 meetings in the top flight. Metz held the historical advantage with 48 victories, compared to 32 for Strasbourg, reflecting a rivalry that has remained competitive across generations.

Several players and coaches have worn both shirts during their careers, further intertwining the clubs’ histories. In the stands, the fixture has regularly produced some of Strasbourg’s largest attendances, particularly at the Stade de la Meinau, which has long been a focal point of the rivalry.

1979: A Title-Defining Derby

The most iconic chapter of the Derby de l’Est came during the 1978–79 Division 1 season. When Strasbourg hosted Metz on matchday six, the two sides occupied first and second place in the table.

In front of 33,518 spectators, a record crowd at the time, Strasbourg delivered a statement performance against a Metz side featuring established internationals such as Wim Suurbier and Henryk Kasperczak, alongside emerging talents including Patrick Battiston. Goals from Roland Wagner, Albert Gemmrich and Jean-Jacques Marx secured a 3–0 victory.

Strasbourg also won the return fixture in Metz and went on to claim the 1979 French championship, the only league title in the club’s history. The derby proved decisive.

Promotion Pressure in Ligue 2

As both clubs slipped out of Ligue 1 in the late 2000s, the derby’s stakes remained high.

In May 2007, a sold-out Meinau hosted a decisive Ligue 2 clash. Metz had already secured promotion and the title, while Strasbourg required victory to return immediately to the top flight. Goals from Renaud Cohade and Éric Mouloungui earned a 2–1 win, allowing Strasbourg to follow their rivals back into Ligue 1.

Two years later, another meeting at the Meinau — during the 2008–09 season — ended goalless, a result that ultimately contributed to both clubs missing out on promotion.

The final derby of that cycle came in 2009–10, with Metz chasing promotion and Strasbourg battling relegation. Despite Metz’s territorial dominance, the match ended 1–1. In a fitting reflection of that era, neither club achieved its objective: Strasbourg were relegated to the Championnat National for the first time in their history, while Metz finished fourth and failed to secure promotion.

A Derby That Endures

Strasbourg–Metz has never relied on proximity alone. Instead, its status is built on shared history, parallel sporting paths and decades of meaningful encounters across divisions. Whether contested in Ligue 1 or Ligue 2, the Derby de l’Est remains one of French football’s most historically grounded rivalries — a fixture shaped as much by memory and identity as by results.