Stade Rennais coach Julien Stéphan has "a mad desire to find Stade de France". - Insidefoto / SIPA

  • Holding the title, Stade Rennais is playing its semi-final of the Coupe de France in Saint-Etienne on Thursday evening.
  • Never beaten in competition, coach Julien Stéphan never spoke to his players about last year's epic.
  • Only four of the eleven holders of the final won against PSG will play Thursday evening at Geoffroy-Guichard.

"I don't want to make a comparison." In a few words, Julien Stéphan tried to evacuate questions about the course of his players last year in the Coupe de France, which had led to an unexpected victory for Stade Rennais on penalties against PSG. Two days before the semi-final in Saint-Etienne, the Breton coach does not want to compare his current squad to the heroes of last year. “It's a different story. Last year was last year, with a group, with a story. This year is another story with another group. ”

Less than a year after lifting the trophy, the defending champion saw his workforce transformed. Mexer, Sarr, Ben Arfa, Bensebaini, André and Koubek gone, only four of the 11 holders of the final will play at Geoffroy-Guichard on Thursday (Da Silva, Traoré, Niang and Bourigeaud, Grenier being injured). “These are two different experiences. We cannot absolutely compare. This is a new group that appeared this year, which was built by making an excellent start to the championship. We all had a complicated time in September-October, which we negotiated very well internally. It united us, it allowed us to live a very rich experience. This is their story, their competition, ”hammered the coach with confidence.

Rennes has not lost a match by two goals in the league since April 9, 2019 (3-1 defeat at Nîmes). A real trademark of the SRFC under Stéphan: few big wins, but few big setbacks. This team has the merit of never giving up.

- Clément Gavard (@Clem_Gavv) February 25, 2020

Never beaten in ten Coupe de France games, Julien Stéphan would never even have spoken to his players about the course of last season. “He was very clear in the first game against Amiens. What happened last year was beautiful for those who experienced it, but today was our own story with this group. He told us that he would never talk about what happened last year, ”said goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who arrived last summer.

"It made me want to join this club"

Last year, the Senegalese had seen his selection friends Mbaye Niang, Ismaïla Sarr and Abdoulaye Diallo lift the cup one evening in April. A first title since 1971 which had convinced the slender doorman to sign in Brittany. "Seeing my compatriots lift trophies and go far in the European Cup, it made me want to join this club," admits the goalkeeper. “We want to defend our title. We have a crazy desire to return to the Stade de France ”, shifts his coach.

Supporters of the title, the Rennais refuse the status of favorite against Greens in crisis in the championship, and the workforce decimated by injuries. “Saint-Etienne is a team that is programmed at the outset to play Europe. On a match, it can raise its level of play. The classification in championship will not have an impact on Thursday. It's another competition. I think they will play on it. The pressure will be strong on them. We will have to go and do something, ”assumes coach Julien Stéphan. Last year, his players had achieved it by going to beat Lyon in his stadium. The rest, you know it.

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  • PSG
  • Soccer
  • Saint Etienne
  • ASSE
  • Julien Stéphan
  • Rennes
  • Sport
  • French Cup
  • Rennais Stadium