One is posh, aiming for nothing less than a place in the European Cup each year, while the other is much more modest, dedicated to continually fighting for its survival in Ligue 1. And yet. Despite resources ranging from simple to double, the earthen pot turned last season into an iron pot, ending up in a place much more promised, on the morning of the first day, to its neighbor. A match within a match marked by several episodes that nourished the germ of a growing rivalry.
An unfortunate little sentence
Accustomed to facing each other in preparation matches, Brestois and Rennais faced each other in July 2023, in Dinan. The Finisterians, who had just secured their retention in Ligue 1 six months after Éric Roy took office at the end of a trying season, had very logically lost (1-0) against Bruno Genesio’s men, superior at all levels. During this poor performance, some Brest residents heard one of the members of the Bretillian staff say that “Brest was going straight to Ligue 2”. A prediction which was obviously not to everyone’s taste.
A draw rich in promises
Beaten in Marseille (2-0) a week earlier, despite a good match, the Brestois welcome a Stade Rennais still undefeated after three days, on September 2, 2023. At the end of a high-intensity confrontation, the two teams separate with a goalless draw. A very good point for Éric Roy’s men, more and more sure of their collective strength, which nevertheless leaves them with a taste of unfinished business. Proof, already, that confidence had changed sides.
Transfer window and talks
Nemanja Matic leaving for Lyon, the Bretillian club is looking for a new recovery midfielder, and is targeting Pierre Lees-Melou, the playing master of Stade Brestois. Not insensitive to the proposal, Éric Roy’s sentinel goes so far as to publicly express his discontent, which is not without somewhat destabilizing the Finistère club, but president Denis Le Saint holds firm, and rejects the offer of the Rennes. Sending a message of firmness. An episode which will be followed by another when, in the spring, Rennes multiplies its approaches towards sports director Grégory Lorenzi, an essential cog in the Brest organization chart and true architect of the club.
Europe chooses its side
This April 28, 2024 will remain engraved forever. Launched into an already unforgettable season and with three days remaining, Stade Brestois travels to an opponent against whom it has not won since 2011 (8 defeats and 6 draws in official matches). At the end of “one of the craziest matches of the season”, for Brestois and native of Saint-Brieuc Julien Le Cardinal, the partners of Lilian Brassier, he, the player trained in Rennes author of the goal of Brest’s victory ( 4-5), achieved a success ensuring them a European place. The height of irony, especially in view of the pre-season prediction, this result had, conversely, buried Rennes’ last hopes of winning Europe. And as if the drama of the result was not enough, it was also during this meeting that Lees-Melou fractured his tibia, an injury from which he has barely recovered.
What’s next for the story?
Besides a question of regional supremacy, which Brest has therefore managed to dispute at least temporarily in Rennes in recent months, the recent history between the two teams gives Saturday’s derby a necessarily special flavor. And while Rennes supporters did not fail to note that it was enough for one Champions League match in Brest to do better than their favorite club in the competition (five defeats, one draw), the possibility of seeing Brest win a play-off place is real. If this possibility remains remote, it would imply that Brest finds another stadium than Roudourou, which does not meet the criteria required for this level of competition, for its home match. The obvious solution would be to ask the SRFC to rent Roazhon Park…
