Charles Fosset

Early life Charles Fosset was born on 25 February 1910 in Montigny-lès-Metz, in the Lorraine region, a short distance from the capital Metz, which at the time, belonged to the German Empire, thus being called Karl at birth. Due to his status as a Frenchman born in a territory from the German Empire, Fosset, like many other players born in Lorraine, was the victim of ostracism by part of French society throughout his life.

On 11 September 1932, the 22-year-old Fosset was one of the eleven footballers who played in Metz's debut in the inaugural season of the new league, which ended in a 1–2 loss to Stade Rennes. In the 118th minute, Fosset, in a fierce and desperate surge, made a goal-line clearance on a header from Olympique striker Emmanuel Aznar; it could not be determined with certainty whether the ball had already crossed the line, but after a long hesitation, the referee awarded the goal, sparking fierce protests from Metz and the crowd. In total, he scored 31 goals in 197 official matches, including 9 goals in 113 top division matches, 14 in 49 second division matches, and 8 goals in 35 Coupe de France matches. The club finished 2nd in the league for 3 years in a row.

During the War, he lost a child and his wife, and was wounded in the head by a shell fragment at the Battle of Mey in 1944. On 5 December 1937, in his second and last appearance for France, he played a crucial role in holding the reigning World Champions Italy to a 0–0 draw, as he muzzled their center forward Silvio Piola, a great specialist in the position.

Managerial career After the liberation of the city by the Allies, the club structures in Metz were rebuilt and Fosset served as its coach in the 1944–45 season, to only be paid after the first revenues had been collected; however, he was replaced shortly after by the Dutchman Beb Bakhuys.

In the build-up to the 1947–48 season, Fosset was given this position again amidst a relegation battle, and despite many difficulties, including the death of striker Gustave Kemp in a road accident, he managed to ensure Metz's permanence in the first division on two occasions, the latter of which by a very narrow margin, which was also his last season as coach. Between 1947 and 1949, he led the team in 68 top division matches, ending with a record of 23 wins, 10 draws, and 35 losses.

Later life and death In 1958, Fosset founded the Cercle Jeanne-d'Arc, an amateur club in his hometown of Montigny, but he was not the president. Fosset spent his entire life in Montigny-les-Metz where his experience benefited many footballers.

Fosset died in Jarny on 12 December 1989, at the age of 79.

Honours FC Metz Ligue 2 Champions (1): 1934–35

Coupe de France Runner-up (1): 1938