Le Lay : «To reach at least the Europa League»

«I’m not saying we have to qualify for the Champions League, but at least for the Europa League this year ». While Stade Rennes remained silent on its targets until then, only mentioning a sixth position matching the club’s position in the budget rankings, president Patrick Le Lay shows more ambition, this Thursday in Ouest-France, before the second half of the season.

A speech in phase with Rennes’ current position in the league, despite the rather mediocre style displayed so far. While Le Lay would love to see his team finish second or third with a team playing the way it did during the first half of the season, “the club’s first effort is to improve the quality of the show proposed, which means to score goals. It is not enough to win a little bit by chance”, especially since, according to the Rennes president, this is what will allow the team to “build on long term”.

«I won’t play poker with somebody else’s money»

Waiting for Stade Rennes to return to Europe, two years after its last participation to the UEFA Cup, no heavy investment will be done by the Pinault family. Le Lay states it clearly: “There is no money to request from the shareholder, except an investment to help the club grow because it’s deserved and the club managed results beforehand…”. Pinault, who has already “brought nearly 100 million euros to the club” won’t forget mistakes from the past, and especially the failure of summer 2000, during which Severino Lucas and Mario Turdo had arrived in Brittany against astronomical transfer fees.

«I won’t play poker with somebody else’s money , Le Lay insists to obliterate completely the possibility of a beforehand investment. Those strategies have been attempted already, and they don’t work either. We have to be reasonable”.

The former TF1 CEO - as François-Henri Pinault already did in 2009 – has also denied the truth in rumours affirming that the Pinault family is trying to produce “dividends” on the club’s possible profit. “M. Pinault hasn’t got a merchant approach to the Stade Rennais”, Le Lay insists. When François Pinault invested in the first place, « he did that for the city, for the region ». In other words, a reasonable “patronage” aiming to leave the club with its responsibilities.

«Start writing our story»

Today, everything seems to rest on the policy set up by Pierre Dréossi, Frédéric Antonetti and their management, explained by the general manager a few weeks ago? Will this young team, at the “beginning of a cycle”, be able to satisfy the expectations? Is it strong enough to fight for European places until the end of the League season?

To reach this goal would certainly trigger a positive dynamic for the short-term future at Stade Rennes. “If we reached the Europa League, then we could afford to invest, probably in attack, Le Lay projects. To recruit a very good striker and strengthen the squad in view of the next season, and try reaching the second or third position to qualify in the Champions League and start writing our story”.

A sweet dream, which should not hinder the possible consequences of a failure. “If we can’t do the Europa League, then we won’t want to spend money for the next stage”, Le Lay also explains. At least, things are clearly announced.