Ligue 1 Evaluation | Brest’s European goals go up in smoke
Any hope that Stade Brestois had of constant their European journey into subsequent season possible got here to an finish on Sunday following a 3-1 defeat to RC Lens. The loss curtailed a five-game unbeaten streak and cemented a seven-point hole between Brest and Olympique Lyonnais in sixth with solely 4 video games left to play.
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It had all the time been unlikely that Brest would return to Europe on the first time of asking after making their debut within the Champions League this season. Nonetheless, till the weekend, there had nonetheless been a sliver of perception. A skinny squad that had seemed stretched for a lot of the marketing campaign had discovered its kind and suffered solely three defeats because the begin of January.
Every little thing seemed as if it was going in line with plan when Pierre Lees-Melou helped Brest to an early lead on the Stade Francis-Le Blé. An equaliser from Goduine Koyalipou 4 minutes later would take a few of the wind out of Les Pirates’ sails, however it could be the officiating that lasted within the reminiscence of the house crowd.
‘We’ve been cheated’
Brest could be denied a penalty by VAR, earlier than seeing Lens awarded one when Abdoulaye Ndiaye was despatched off for denying a goal-scoring alternative. It was a call that seemed harsh with the ball seeming to bounce off Ndiaye’s physique earlier than it hit his arm, and one which left Brest’s head coach Eric Roy throwing his cap to the bottom in disgust.
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Neil El Aynaoui scored from the spot kick to present Lens the lead going into the halftime break. Nonetheless, Brest would show to be arduous to interrupt down within the second half regardless of the person drawback, and it could take till the ninetieth minute for the substitute Wesley Saïd to make it three for Lens.
Following the sport, Roy would furiously lament in his post-match press convention, “We’ve been cheated out of our finish to the season.” The Brest supervisor put voice to the sensation that had sunk into the Francis-Le Blé, “Clearly, our season isn’t over, however I don’t see how with 4 video games to go we’re going to make up seven factors on the seventh-placed group. That’s what disappoints me, this match with all these opposed occasions concludes our season.”
Eric Roy out of contract in the summertime
What’s subsequent for Les Pirates and, extra particularly, Roy turns into the large query that surrounds the membership and one that’s now far tougher to disregard with little left to play for. Since becoming a member of Brest halfway by way of the 2022/23 season, Roy has been one of many key architects of their astonishing rise, however his future stays imprecise, together with his contract up on the finish of the season.
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Talks over an extension have reportedly stopped and began, with Roy revealing in March that there had “been no actual development” within the conversations. Nonetheless, following the defeat to Lens, Roy was in a position to present a small replace, “I’m completely satisfied right here. I wish to prolong my contract. Why not? We have to come to an settlement, and for now, we haven’t come to at least one, as a result of there have been no negotiations.”
If Roy have been to increase his keep in Brest, the way forward for the membership would really feel just a little extra sure. He has confirmed his capability to form his gamers right into a top-half outfit, and subsequent season, with out the calls for of midweek soccer, it stands to cause to imagine that he may assist Brest mount a extra constant problem for European soccer.
This week’s Ligue 1 sub-plots
Lyon have been left to fume as they misplaced floor within the Champions League race following defeat to native rivals AS Saint-Étienne on Sunday night. The sport was plagued by controversies that left Lyon venting their frustrations within the post-match. .
Olympique de Marseille have been in a position to return to second place after shedding the spot in final weekend’s 3-0 defeat to AS Monaco. A victory over practically relegated Montpellier HSC restored some sense of order to a membership that has been teetering on the purpose of chaos. .
Kylian Mbappé’s nightmare week continued. The French captain was eradicated from the Champions League with Actual Madrid, whereas the membership he purchased in the summertime, SM Caen, have been relegated to the third tier of French soccer. Caen turned the primary group in Ligue 2 to verify their relegation after a 3-0 defeat to fellow strugglers FC Martigues.
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