Fan’s 25-year love story with Monaco leads to world record jersey collection

MONACO (AP) — A Monaco supporter has claimed a world record for the largest collection of original jerseys from a single soccer club.

Julien Bouron recently unveiled his remarkable collection of AS Monaco shirts at the Riviera club. It includes 1,146 pieces, featuring those worn by Kylian Mbappé, Thierry Henry, Manuel Amoros, Radamel Falcao, David Trezeguet, and Delio Onnis, the club’s all-time top scorer.

According to Monaco, an official bailiff attended the exhibition and verified the count of 1,146 jerseys — surpassing the previous world record held by a Swiss Liverpool supporter.

Bouron, who hails from France’s Burgundy region, said his passion for Monaco began 25 years ago, when he attended his first match — between Monaco and Auxerre.

“That was the year Monaco won their seventh French title,” he recalled this week in an interview on the club website. “That day, I fell in love … not with AJ Auxerre, but with AS Monaco. And since then, I’ve never stopped following the club.”

His collection began when former Monaco player Lucas Bernardi gave him a match-worn jersey from the 2006–07 season.

“From then on, I became interested in the jerseys worn by the players,” Bouron said. “Today, it’s a very time-consuming activity. I’m always on the lookout for rare gems, but I’m already very proud to own all of this.”

The oldest shirt in his collection dates to the 1950s, worn by François Ludo, a Monaco defender who made one appearance for France.

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