The 1965 Coupe de France Victory

Route to the Final

• Round of 64 : Rennes 2 - 1 Red Star
  • Goals by Dubaële & Pellegrini
• Round of 32 : Rennes 4 - 3 Lens
  • Goals by Prigent, Rodighiero (2) & Dubaële
• Round of 16 : Rennes 10 - 0 Saint-Quentin
  • Goals by Loncle, Rodighiero (5) & Pellegrini (4)
• Quarter-finals : Rennes 5 - 2 Nice
  • Goals by Prigent, Ascencio, Rodighiero, Dubaële & Pellegrini
• Semi-finals: Rennes 3 - 0 Saint-Etienne
  • Goals by Dubaële & Pellegrini (2)
• Final : Rennes 2 - 2 Sedan (after extra-time),
  • Goals by Ascencio & Rodighiero
• Final - Replay : Rennes 3 - 1 Sedan
  • Goals by Rodighiero (2) & Loncle

Rennes Team for the Final

- Standing : Lamia, Boutet, Cardiet, Lavaud, Loncle & Brucato.
- Squatting : Prigent, Ascencio, Rodighiero, Dubaële, Pellegrini.

The Final : Match Details

- May 26th, 1965 in Paris (Parc des Princes)
- Referee : Mr. Kitabidjian Michel
- Stade Rennais UC 3 - 1 UA Sedan-Torcy
- Half-Time : 0-1

• 0 - 1 (20’) : Herbet, penalty (involuntary handball by Brucato).
• 1 - 1 (47’) : Rodighiero, on a long pass from Loncle.
• 2 - 1 (77’) : Loncle, volley after a cross by Ascensio was headed back by Pellegrini.
• 3 - 1 (88’) : Rodighiero, penalty (Dubaële was shoved in the area).

Testimony

- Yves Boutet (SRUC’s Captain in the final) : “The 1965 Coupe de France remains my biggest memory with the Stade Rennais. It really was the most marking moment, as I was captain and I was the first to lift the trophy. Before winning the cup for the first time in the club’s history, we had reached the semi-finals twice. We fell short by very little each time.”

- René Cédolin (The only player involved in both of Rennes’ Coupe de France wins) :
“It was the first title ever won by the club, and a complete hysteria developed in Rennes. People’s reaction was extraordinary. How could I forget our arrival in the station? The Avenue Janvier was packed with people and the Town Hall square was assaulted by the crowd… We gave Brittany such delight! It’s even more incredible since we came back only four days after the final. The enthusiasm had not quietened.”

- Georges Lamia (Rennes goalkeeper) : “This event is the climax of a player’s career, the most delighting. Besides the very strong feeling of the victory, the aftermath is what really marks a mind. In Rennes, it was fabulous, grandiose. I could never forget any instant of our return, the madness in the city for the month that followed. It was pure euphoria, we were on cloud nine. We were invited everywhere, presents were pouring on us… […] That replayed final against Sedan was a fantastic but really stressing moment. During the first game, we were trailing 2-0. You can say our chances to win were slim by that point. I could see the Cup get out of reach, knowing that such a handicap can seldom be closed in a final. Fortunately, the team’s reaction was superb. And when the replay arrived, we simply exploded!”

- Marcel Loncle (Rennes playmaker) : “We had replayed the final on the Thursday, I believe, and we had to play a league game in Strasbourg on the Sunday. Then, only, we came back to Rennes with the trophy, we spent an incredible couple of days together. We didn’t expect such a reception. We received a triumphal welcoming in Rennes rail station, there were people everywhere, and then we were carried by a red and black wave all the way to the Town Hall.”

- Daniel Rodighiero (Second goal scorer in the Stade Rennais history, with 126 buts) : “The Stade Rennais was looking for a Coupe de France victory since decades. The team had reached the semi-finals in several occasions, and even two finals, but never managed to win the trophy. In 1965, we brought it home and offered it to the whole of Brittany, as the Stade Rennais was really the club representing the region in those times. Brest, En Avant Guingamp or the FC Lorient came well behind. We had finished that season with the best attack in the League, it truly was an exceptional season. The semi-final against Saint-Etienne was extraordinary, probably one of the best in the Cup’s history. “Les Verts” were reigning France champions, I believe, and also leading the league (N/A: They were actually 7th in the League]. We had beaten them 3-0; we truly walked over them! In the first final, against Sedan, I scored the equaliser that offered us the chance to replay the final. On the second game, I scored twice. It was the end of an epic adventure in which each game was a tight contest, where we had to fight every second to avoid the fall. There is always something missing to a professional who hasn’t won the Cup. We had received support from Bretons across the whole world, and when we won the title, we received an extraordinary reception. The crowd was so dense in the station, and even on the railway, the train had to enter at walking pace.”