Ligue 1 Review | Brest make history while Champions League search continues

Eric Roy laid the facts out neatly as he basked in the glow of Stade Brestois’ breathtaking 5-4 victory over local rivals Stade Rennais. “ Last year, we secured our safety with three games remaining. 12 months later, three matches from the end, we have qualified for a European competition .” It was a characteristic statement of the manager, a willingness even as records were being smashed to downplay the achievement. 

Brest had been one of the favourites to be relegated this season. They were a club that had spent the seasons since their promotion from Ligue 2 in 2019 in a constant state of survival. Somehow always doing just enough to keep their head above the water long enough that the drop could be avoided. The fact that they had managed to survive last year when the league restructured from 20 teams to 18 was considered a surprise, and one that was unlikely to be matched this season. 

One of the smaller teams in a crowded region of France consistently overshadowed and often forgotten next to the richer powerhouses of Brittany: Rennes, FC Nantes, and even FC Lorient. The glory years of Les Pirates are thin and forgettable outside the leaking temporary stands of the Stade Francis Le Blé, they’ve never played in a European competition, and until this season their best-ever finish to a campaign was a lone eighth place secured in the 1987/88 season. 

All Brest needed was a victory and they would have shattered their own history as they travelled to the Roazhon Park to play Rennes. However, the finish to the season has shown the jitters that can come with the weight of expectations. Brest came into the match on a two-game losing streak, and their defence which had been the tightest in the league had conceded nine in