A native of Colmar, Roux played for AJ Auxerre between 1954 and 1957 and became player-manager of the then Division d'Honneur (fourth level) club in 1961 to become its living legend and symbol.

In 1980, Roux rejected the chance to sign French international striker Olivier Rouyer in favour of opening a state-of-the-art youth academy.

[3] During his period at the helm, the team established itself as a powerhouse in French football and became known worldwide as an academy for top players, since it was the club where football stars such as Eric Cantona, Basile Boli, Alain Goma, Frédéric Darras, Pascal Vahirua, Raphael Guerreiro, Stéphane Mazzolini, Djibril Cissé, Philippe Mexès and Teemu Tainio won themselves a name being spotted and their talent further developed by Roux.

[3] He also helped rebuild the careers of players, such as Laurent Blanc and Enzo Scifo, after they had experienced poor spells.

[4] In 2000, Roux was a recipient of the UEFA President's Award which recognises outstanding achievements, professional excellence and exemplary personal qualities.