🏟️ OFFICIAL CLUB PROFILE: ROAZHON PARK, Rennes

Stade Rennais First-Team Squad

Franck Haise’s Rennes are captained by France midfielder Valentin Rongier and spearheaded by breakout striker Esteban Lepaul, top scorer with an outstanding 20 league goals. Swiss international Breel Embolo and playmaker Ludovic Blas add quality in attack, while France goalkeeper Brice Samba is a commanding, penalty-saving presence between the posts.

Squad correct as of the summer 2026 window, which runs until 1 September — numbers and personnel may change. Follow every Rennes fixture and prediction at AI Pro Prediction and our Europa League predictions hub.

Stade Rennais: A Complete Guide to Le Rouge et Noir

Origins and Breton Identity

Stade Rennais Football Club was founded in 1901, making it one of the oldest and most historic clubs in France. Based in Rennes, the capital of Brittany, the club is deeply intertwined with regional identity, proudly representing the Breton people and their distinctive culture. The iconic red-and-black shirts give rise to the nickname Rouge et Noir, and the club’s badge incorporates the ermine symbol of Brittany — a mark of pride worn on the chest whenever Rennes take the field.

One of the founding members of French professional football, Rennes have spent the vast majority of their history in the top flight, becoming a fixture of Ligue 1. Their home, Roazhon Park — the Breton-language name adopted to honour regional heritage — is renowned as one of the most passionate and atmospheric stadiums in France, where the Breton faithful create a fervent backdrop for every match.

A Proud Cup History

For much of their history, Rennes were known primarily as a cup team. The club won its first Coupe de France in 1965, followed by a successful defence in 1971 — back-to-back triumphs that remain cherished in the collective memory of Breton football. These victories established Rennes as a genuine force in French cup competition and gave the region its first major national honours.

After a long wait, the club ended a 48-year trophy drought in spectacular fashion by winning the 2019 Coupe de France. In one of the most dramatic finals in recent memory, Rennes came from two goals down against a Paris Saint-Germain side featuring Kylian Mbappé and Neymar to level at 2–2 and win on penalties. That famous night sparked wild celebrations across Brittany and heralded a new era of ambition for the club under the ownership of the Pinault family’s Artémis group.

Honours and Achievements

Across more than a century of competition, Stade Rennais have assembled a proud record of achievement:

• Coupe de France: Winners in 1965, 1971 and 2019 — three national cup triumphs that define the club’s proud cup heritage.
• Trophée des Champions: Runners-up appearances in the French super cup, contested as cup winners.
• Ligue 1 best finishes: Third place in 2019–20 (qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history) and a series of top-six finishes that have made Rennes European regulars.
• European football: Regular participants in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, including a debut Champions League campaign in 2020–21.
• Ligue 2: Champions on multiple occasions in the club’s earlier history.

Rivalries and the Breton Derby

Rennes reserve their fiercest rivalry for fellow Breton club FC Nantes, with whom they contest the intense Derby breton — one of the most historic and heated fixtures in French football. Matches between the two great clubs of Brittany carry enormous regional significance, dividing families and communities across the region and producing an electric atmosphere whenever they meet. Victory in the derby is a matter of pride that resonates far beyond the three league points at stake.

Beyond the Breton derby, clashes with the traditional powers of French football — Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille, Lyon and Monaco — have provided many memorable occasions at Roazhon Park. The 2019 Coupe de France final win over PSG stands as the crowning example of Rennes’s ability to rise to the biggest occasions and topple the giants of the domestic game.

A Renowned Academy

Rennes are celebrated for one of the finest youth academies in Europe. The club’s training centre has produced a remarkable stream of top-class talent that has gone on to shine at the very highest level. Perhaps the most famous graduate is Ousmane Dembélé, who burst onto the scene at Roazhon Park before his moves to Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, developing into one of the world’s most electrifying attackers and a Ballon d’Or contender.

Other notable academy products include Yann M’Vila, Eduardo Camavinga — who moved to Real Madrid as a teenager and became a Champions League winner — and Mathys Tel among a new generation. This production line of talent has become central to the club’s identity and financial model, blending the development and sale of gifted young players with genuine on-pitch ambition.

Playing Style and the Haise Era

Rennes are known for an attacking, technically refined brand of football that reflects the club’s investment in youth and creativity. The 2025–26 season brought managerial change: after a difficult start under Habib Beye, the experienced Franck Haise was appointed in February 2026, bringing the tactical discipline and man-management that had earned him admiration during his successful spells at Lens and Nice.

Haise quickly steadied the ship and drove Rennes up the table, building around captain Valentin Rongier’s leadership in midfield, the goals of breakout striker Esteban Lepaul and the experience of internationals such as Breel Embolo, Brice Samba and Musa Al-Taamari. The result was an exciting, resurgent team capable of matching anyone in Ligue 1 on their day.

The 2025–26 Season and European Return

The 2025–26 campaign was a season of recovery and reward for Rennes. After a stuttering start that cost Habib Beye his job, Franck Haise’s arrival in February transformed the club’s fortunes. Rennes surged up the standings to finish sixth in Ligue 1, securing a return to European competition for the coming season and reaffirming their status among the leading clubs in France.

The individual story of the season was Esteban Lepaul, whose 20 league goals made him one of the most prolific marksmen in Ligue 1 and earned him widespread admiration. His emergence, combined with Rongier’s steadying influence and the arrival of Seko Fofana in midfield, gave Rennes a balanced, dangerous team. With European nights returning to Roazhon Park, the Breton faithful have every reason for optimism. For the latest Rennes match previews, team news and score forecasts throughout the campaign, follow our European football predictions.

Looking Ahead

As Stade Rennais enter the 2026–27 season, the objectives are ambitious: to consolidate as a top-six side in Ligue 1, to make a mark in Europe, and to continue developing the outstanding young talent for which the club is renowned. With Franck Haise now able to shape his squad across a full pre-season, captain Valentin Rongier providing leadership and Esteban Lepaul leading the line, Rennes have the platform to build on their resurgence. For a club with such a proud Breton identity, a celebrated academy and a passionate fanbase, the future promises more of the famous nights that Roazhon Park does best. The blend of Haise’s tactical nous, a settled leadership group and the constant emergence of academy talent gives Rennes a genuine platform to challenge for the European places again and to enjoy deep runs in continental competition, restoring the club to the level its history and ambition demand.