On June 21, the Professional Football League (LFP) unveiled the calendar for the future Ligue 1 season. The opportunity to take stock of the 17 matches awaiting the Racing Club de Strasbourg, for its 8th consecutive season in the elite. Another special year, in a Meinau which will be under construction.
The weekend of August 23/24/25, the Racing Club de Strasbourg will return to Meinau and its supporters for its 8th consecutive season in Ligue 1. A season which will inevitably be special, in a stadium under constructioncompletely cut off from its South stand, and which will only be filled “with” 19,500 supporters.
Fortunately, The West Stand, the Kop, will be brand new, with 1,500 additional seats.. Meinau should therefore not lose its voice, as a new season looms for Racing, the second under the BlueCo flag. We hope for a less trying year than the previous one.
On the scale of Ligue 1, however, the year risks being chaotic: At the time of writing, no broadcaster has been found to broadcast the French championship., depriving fans of the means to watch their team, and depriving clubs of one of their most important sources of income. The health of French football has rarely been so worrying.
Matches not to be missed
But let’s focus on Racing: on June 21, the LFP unveiled the calendar for the 2024/2025 Ligue 1 season. This will begin on the weekend of August 16/17/18, ending on May 18, 2025.. In all, 9 months of French football, and 17 matches for Racing at home.
Not an easy schedule for our Blues and Whites, with several big periods where the best teams at Meinau will come together. Small bonus nonetheless: Racing will play three of its last four matches at home. Here are the matches not to be missed.
Strasbourg-Rennes, the first in a shaken Meinau (1st day: August 23/24/25, 2024)
After an opening match against Montpellier, Racing will return to its home to launch its season at home against Rennes and its coach Julien Stéphan. Still a strong opponent, even if at Meinau, the Strasbourg residents have a balanced record against the Reds and Blacks [3 victoires, 1 nul et 3 défaites depuis le retour en Ligue 1, ndlr].
In a stadium without its South stand, with many displaced supporters but with a more crowded Kop, the atmosphere will certainly be unlike any other. We can only hope for good weather and a victory, to remain on the same bases as the end of last season and the success achieved against Metz. Statistically, Racing is at 2 wins, 2 draws and 3 defeats in its opening matches at Meinau. It’s time to rebalance all that!
The Last Confrontation : Strasbourg-Rennes, 2-0 (goals from Senaya and Sebas).
Strasbourg-Marseille, for the first victory against OM since the return to Ligue 1? (6th day, September 27/28/29)
The Meinau is never as strong as during the big matches, and those against OM have always been rich in emotion. The 3-3 during the promotion to Ligue 1 or the 2-2 snatched at the end of added time by a sumptuous volley from Gameiro have left their mark.. However, Racing is still looking for its first success against OM in Ligue 1 since the comeback. So much so that the last victory gets to have a beer [elle date de 2005, donc il y a 19 ans, ndlr].
However, it is not for lack of competition: In the last four confrontations, Strasbourg has always drawn against Marseille.. Each time there is a little something missing, and we hope that the balance will tip in the right direction at the end of September, which is always pleasant in the Strasbourg climate.
The last confrontation : Strasbourg-Marseille, 1-1 (goal d’Emegha).
Strasbourg-Reims, the last before Christmas (14th day, December 6/7/8, 2024)
When Strasbourg establishes itself as the capital of Christmas, Racing always handles periods of extreme cold well in the championship. In the middle of the Christmas market period, the Blues and Whites will host Reims, in what is the Grand Est derby. An opponent that always succeeds rather well for the Strasbourg club.
Since returning to Ligue 1, Racing has won 3 times against its Champagne rival, against 2 draws and only one defeat., when Meinau was empty in the middle of the Covid period. The opportunity to continue the series, to warm bodies and hearts, which will undoubtedly be very tested by the winter period. We then hope that Meinau will be in Christmas magic mode.
The Last Confrontation : Strasbourg-Reims, 3-1 (butts by Gameiro, Sylla et Sahi).
Strasbourg-Auxerre, the first of 2025 (16th day, 3/4/5 January 2025)
As a Strasbourg supporter, we always dread the January and February period a little. The freezing weather whips fingers and cheeks, and one often shivers in the aisles of the Meinau. However, to celebrate the new year, we will meet at the stadium the first weekend of January, with just enough time to recover from the New Year.
Facing Racing will be Auxerre, the second closest opponent to Strasbourg in terms of kilometers. Freshly returned to Ligue 1, the Burgundians will want to do better than their last spell, ended with a 2-0 defeat against Strasbourg, then reinvigorated by spring and the arrival of Frédéric Antonetti. We hope for the same result, to brighten up the start of January.
The Last Confrontation : Strasbourg-Auxerre, 2-0 (in 2023) (goals by Nyamsi and Diallo).
Strasbourg-PSG, the timeless (32nd day, May 2/3/4, 2025)
No need to introduce PSG, the ogre of Ligue 1. Even with the departure of Kylian Mbappé to Real Madrid, the Parisian team is once again the big favorite of the season. Nevertheless, at the Meinau, Racing has always known how to give their opponents from the capital a hard time..
If we all remember the epic victory one evening in December 2017, three other draws, often lively, came to fill the basket with good results for the Blues and Whites against the Parisians. It was only last season that Racing suffered its first defeat at home and with a crowd, in Ligue 1 against Paris. The opportunity to immediately take revenge, while the temperatures will be mild again in the Alsatian capital.
The last confrontation : Strasbourg-Paris, 1-2 (goal from Bakwa).
Strasbourg-Le Havre, the last of the season (34th day, May 18, 2025)
For the second time since its promotion to Ligue 1, Racing will end its season at home [en 2020/2021, il avait joué son dernier match à domicile, mais c’était sans public, ndlr]. Facing the Blues and Whites will stand other Blues and Whites: Le Havre. A team with a special flavor for Racing, since it was against them that the club launched its season.
As criticism grew louder towards Patrick Vieira and his team after 8 games without a win, an angry header from Abakar Sylla delivered the entire Meinau and launched Racing on its winter series of 8 matches without defeat. On February 7, the Blues and Whites did it again in the Coupe de France, beating Le Havre 3-1.
It remains to be seen what Racing will play on matchday 34. : maintaining, Europe, or just finishing well in front of your audience? The suspense remains.
The Last Confrontation : Strasbourg-Le Havre, 2-1 (goals from Emegha and Sylla).
