Football Season Guide

Rennes only won 2 of their first 10 matches last season but powered into Europe after appointing Franck Haise as head coach, with the former Nice manager leading them to 9 victories in their last 13 games. It was a stunning return to form and one that allowed the Breton club to match their season objective. Although Jeremy Jacquet has been sold to Liverpool, that deal was agreed in January, giving the club ample time to plan. Otherwise, they have not lost a single key figure. Instead, the summer has been spent building a squad capable of competing in Europe. Charlie Cresswell has arrived from Toulouse in a deal that is something of a coup, but otherwise it’s been about increasing strength in depth. Eliezer Mayenda, Issa Soumare and Arnaud Nordin will do that, while Adrien Thomasson was excellent in midfield with Lens last season. While the likes of Breel Embolo and Jordan James are heavily linked with moves away, these will not impact Rennes’ starting XI too significantly. Friendly results have been generally positive, with a 3-3 draw against Galatasaray a particularly entertaining game. Rennes has impressive scoring power that was unlocked thanks to Haise’s arrival last season. In particular, Esteban Lepaul has been a revelation, and as a comparative late bloomer, there is little transfer interest in him from big clubs. He was Ligue 1’s Golden Boot winner last season and has shown strong form in pre-season. With 50 goals conceded last season, Rennes’ defence was more comparable to a team fighting in mid-table than one that qualified for Europe. Even during their strong run late in the season, they only kept 1 clean sheet in 7.