Rennes have an outstanding academy, a brilliant manager in Julien Stéphan and owners with deep pockets
By Adam White and Eric Devin for Get French
Football News
Promising sides in
France tend to be torn apart more quickly than they are constructed, victim to Ligue 1’s lack of riches when compared to Europe’s elite. PSG stand as the exception given their backing from the Qatari state, but far more common are situations such as Monaco’s brilliantly brief spell as a European heavyweight in 2016-17. No sooner had the season come to an end than half of their players were on their way, with more to follow in subsequent seasons.
Lyon had a promising side that year as well, reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League, but the departures of Corentin Tolisso and Alexandre Lacazette that summer quickly blunted their rise. The same thing has happened to Lille, who lost Victor Osimhen and Nicolas Pépé. Even Lyon were stripped of their peak assets while on their run of winning seven straight league titles from 2001-02 to 2007-08, with Michael Essien, Karim Benzema, Éric Abidal and others undermining their hopes of progressing in Europe.