Rennes Sporting director Florian Maurice has declared that Les Rouge et Noir will aim for a podium finish for the upcoming Ligue 1 season. Speaking to TV Rennes, the former Lyon head of recruitment stated that the Bruno Genesio-led side are expected to better their fourth-place finish of the past campaign. “The idea is to do much better that last year, with a podium finish and the Champions League. We owe to ourselves to set high objectives.” With Europe’s premier club competition set to expand to 36 teams, the three best-placed teams in Ligue 1 will automatically qualify for the Champions League from the 2024-2025 season.
Rennes have started strongly in this summer’s transfer window. The Bretons have splashed out a combined €40m to lure two of Ligue 1’s best players: Lorient attacking midfielder Enzo Le Fée and Nantes versatile forward Ludovic Blas. “We must not forget that there are other clubs working and it will be a fight. But we can consider that Stade Rennais need to have this ambition”, adds Maurice. Three years ago, Rennes’ first and last appearance in the Champions League was ill-fated. They finished bottom of their group behind Krasnodar, Sevilla FC and eventual tournament winners Chelsea, losing five and drawing one. Next season, Rennes will play the Europa League group stage.
GFFN | Bastien Cheval
