Soccer. Stade Rennes in the red, facing a very dark future

The new defeat of Stade Rennes against neighboring Brest, moreover at Roazhon Park, definitively plunges the club from the Breton capital into crisis. Whistled by its supporters, chastened by the Brestois, the “Rouge et Noir” will have to fight for the maintenance operation! Far, very far from the European dreams at the start of the season.

“The team was much better than its opponent, much superior. A little less in the first half but a lot more in the second“.
Rennes coach Jorge Sampaoli was the only one to find some glimmers of hope in his team's umpteenth defeat, this Saturday, January 18, against Brest 2-1, during the 18th day of Ligue 1.

Umpteenth defeat? With Jorge Sampaoli, Rennes suffered a fifth setback in seven days after the humiliation in the Coupe de France in Troyes on Wednesday.

ALSO READ: With Stade Rennes, Jorge Sampaoli is still searching for himself, before reuniting with Olympique de Marseille, his “former love”

Even more alarming statistics: Rennes already has 11 defeats after 18 days of Ligue 1. This is its worst total at this stage of the Championship for 41 years and the 1983-1984 season. [statistiques Opta, ndlr].
At the time, the Bretons had accumulated 12 defeats in their first 18 matches, and finished last at the end of the season.

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Less than a year ago, nearly 10,000 Rennes supporters had stars in their eyes, around the legendary San Siro stadium in Milan. Today, the club scheduled to play in Europe will have to fight to stay.

The Rennes ultras, deprived of a stadium against OM last weekend (1-2), had prepared numerous messages while remaining silent for the first twenty minutes. The banners flourished in the stand of the Roazhon Celtic Kop.

Jumbled together, we could read this towards the players and the club: “Silence is the fruit of your incompetence.” ; “Poorly managed club, poorly thought out squad” ; “So many years sabotaged in a few months.”

Of course, the contrast with neighboring Brest was striking. The Finistère club is giving itself some breathing room in Ligue 1 and can concentrate on these upcoming European games against Shakhtior Donetsk and especially Real Madrid.

“Another banner!”echoed the Brest supporters, a little teasingly, at Roazhon Park, where the game took place as much in the stands as on the pitch.

Less funny, the police had to intervene to contain supporters of Stade Rennes who wanted to go down on the pitch, after having turned back the players who came to meet them, at the end of the match.

Far from Real Madrid, Rennes' rivals for the end of the season are called Montpellier, Le Havre, Nantes, Saint-Etienne or Angers.

Coach Jorge Sampaoli admitted to being “very concerned” about the situation of the Rennes club in the standings — 14th with 17 points, one more than Saint-Etienne and Nantes who are only one step behind with a game in hand –, he assured that he understood the banners hostile to the managers and players, brandished by the red and black supporters before the match.

Supporters have the right to protest.

Jorge Sampaoli

Coach of Stade Rennes

“I understand everything that has been said, given our situation. As for me, I work every day to ensure that the situation changes, but supporters have the right to protest“, he commented.

From now on, there is really no time to look up and regret the hopes of the start of the season when the club was aiming for a European place.
Unless there is a spectacular recovery in the coming days, Stade Rennes will experience this end of the season in anguish.

To save themselves, there are around 18 points left to take… in just 12 matches.
The schedule is not the easiest. Stade Rennes travels to Monaco the next day. He will face Lyon, Nice and Marseille in the final days.
No doubt, the club presents a good face… as a candidate for relegation.