Saturday April 27, PSG was caught by Le Havre and missed the opportunity to secure a twelfth French championship title. The next day, Stade Brestois made official news that it had been dreaming of for several months. With a match full of twists and turns and a spectacular victory in Rennes (5-4), the Bretons moved up to third place in Ligue 1, thereby ensuring their qualification for the European Cup next season. A first in the history of the club, fifteenth championship budget (out of eighteen).
Whatever the scenario of the meeting or the beauty of the spectacle proposed, Ty-Zefs supporters would have long remembered the day when their team entered the European galaxy. But the fans gathered in Roazhon Park in Rennes were also treated to an offensive festival and the most prolific match of the Ligue 1 season to confirm the news.
However, everything started badly for Eric Roy’s men. After ten minutes of play, his team had already twice suffered the offensive skill of Arnaud Kalimuendo, and seemed set to experience a difficult afternoon, in line with their last two outings, concluded with defeats, against Monaco and Lyon. This time, they managed to react, scoring four goals in quick succession following that of Steve Mounié (11th).
Europe… and especially the Champions League?
If the Bretons once again experienced some defensive errors at the end of the match and conceded two new goals by Arthur Theate (68th) and Martin Terrier (79th), they did not want to settle for a draw. And it was finally a former Rennes man, Lilian Brassier, who came to definitively knock out his ex-club with a header on the gong (90th 7). This goal even allows his team to continue to believe in qualification for the Champions League, they who are a small unit ahead of Lille, three days before the end of the championship.
“We have a team that wants to get to the end of things. She’s a bit unusual but she’s very attractive. For the past few weeks, we’ve been promoting Ligue 1. So I hope people are having fun in front of their TV! », Explained Eric Roy at the final whistle, at the microphone of Canal.
It now remains to be seen in which venue Brest will play its European matches, whether in the Champions League, the Europa League or the Europa Conference League. Its Francis-Le Blé stadium is not new, and already needs an exemption to be able to host Ligue 1 matches.
Convincing UEFA (the Union of European Football Associations) to grant the Bretons a similar exception on the European scene may be difficult. “The mayor of Brest, François Cuillandre, like the president of Stade Brestois, Denis Le Saint, do not wish at any time to play anywhere other than in Brest if the club qualifies for a European competition,” in any case affirmed the club and the town hall in a joint press release, Friday April 26.
