Outsiders Brest Bounding Towards Unlikely Champions League Place
Muhammad Rameez Published March 08, 2024 | 09:00 AM
Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Mar, 2024) While some of France's biggest Names struggle, unfashionable Brest are enjoying their best-ever season and are on course to crown it with qualification for the Champions League for the first time.
As Lyon lie in the bottom half of Ligue 1 and Marseille struggle to keep up in the race for Europe, Brest have emerged as the closest challengers to leaders Paris Saint-Germain.
Nobody in the Brittany port city, situated on France's far western tip in the rainy department of Finistere -- which translates as "End of the World" -- is imagining their local team can bridge the nine-point gap to PSG.
However, the fact that France will have four representatives in the expanded Champions League next season -- up from the current three -- may play into the hands of a club that has never before featured in Europe.
Brest come into this weekend's trip to Lens sitting six points ahead of fifth-placed Nice and on a club-record run of 13 top-flight games without defeat.
They have conceded only five goals in that time, two of which came in a 2-2 draw at PSG, with Brest building their success on a solid defensive foundation.
The closest thing Brest have to a star player is midfielder Pierre Lees-Melou, who scored their winning goal last weekend against Le Havre.
Thirty-year-old former Nice player Lees-Melou, who had a season in the Premier League at Norwich City before joining Brest in 2022, was a target for Brittany rivals Rennes in the January transfer window.
"For me, in his position, there is nobody like him in France. He could play anywhere and deserves to be capped," said coach Eric Roy.
Brest refused to sell Lees-Melou in January and also managed to keep hold of defender Lilian Brassier amid interest from Monaco.
Instead of being weakened mid-season, they appear to be going from strength to strength under Roy, who took over a team that was in relegation trouble midway through last season and immediately set about transforming their fortunes.
Former Marseille and Sunderland midfielder Roy, 56, had not coached since leaving Nice over a decade earlier but has done so well in Brest that fans last week unfurled a banner in his honour at their Stade Francis-Le Ble which called him "King Eric".
The club where David Ginola briefly played in the early 1990s have never previously finished higher than eighth.
European qualification may present problems for an outfit with one of Ligue 1's smallest budgets.
They may not be able to play European matches in their ageing stadium, which is soon due to be replaced by a brand-new 15,000-seat venue.
But reaching Europe's elite club competition would be an incredible achievement.
"Our objective was to avoid relegation which we have already gone well beyond. We are hungry for more and we going to try not to have any regrets," Lees-Melou told radio station RMC.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Reference against Pervaiz Ashraf adjourned till May 29
60 buses to be shifted on diesel under PPP-mode to provide travel facilities: Ma ..
NA passes tax laws amendment bill 2024
GCU to remain closed on May 1
Abbottabad Police conducts extensive operations against criminals, drug dealers
Kenya Airways suspends flights to Kinshasa over DR Congo detentions
Continuing tight monetary stance SBP maintains policy rate at 22%
DIG asks SSPs to ensure proper security for labour day activities
'I walked and walked': Ukrainian grandmother, 97, flees bombed village
DC Jhang takes action to support farmers
Punjab LG women officers visit Abbottabad
5 killed, 2 injured in different incidents
More Stories From Sports
-
A Moroccan club jersey takes market by storm after diplomatic dispute
16 minutes ago -
University of Central Punjab dominates Men's Weightlifting Competition
16 minutes ago -
Top Pak athletes to feature in 8th Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship
1 hour ago -
Naz Club Khalabat clinches trophy in District Volleyball Championship 2024
3 hours ago -
Table Tennis League kicks off
3 hours ago -
Pakistan's Ashab wins Rochester Proam Squash
4 hours ago
-
Chief Minister KP to open Inter-Madrasa, Special Games on Tuesday
5 hours ago -
Iranian Consulate Peshawar to sponsor Tradition Kabaddi, Zurkhaneh, Kosti-Pehlwani: Arbab Naseer
6 hours ago -
Gillespie, Kirsten feature in 48th edition of PCB Podcast
7 hours ago -
New Zealand skipper Williamson set for sixth T20 World Cup
10 hours ago -
West Indies women beat Pakistan by seven wickets
1 hour ago -
President's Cup matches washed out
1 day ago