Seventeen Europa League matches and still not the slightest victory. The figure resonates like a cruel paradox for one of the most praised technicians in French football. Franck Haise, at ease in Ligue 1, seems prisoner of a continental glass ceiling. The draw at Stade Rennais conceded on Wednesday at Sturm Graz (0-0) during the first day of the Europa League added another line to this sad record.
If the Breton team thus preserves its invincibility this season, its coach sees its terrible black streak lengthen with now 5 draws and 12 defeats in 17 matches in this competition.
To find the trace of a European success for Franck Haise, we have to go back to December 12, 2023. That evening, under the spotlights of the Champions League and carried by the fervor of the Bollaert-Delelis stadium, his RC Lens won against Sevilla FC (2-1). A golden parenthesis before the start of an endless tunnel.
Next match against OFI Crete
The curse begins at the start of 2024 when Lensois return to the Europa League. Opposed to Fribourg, the Sang et Or conceded a draw in the first leg before tragically losing in overtime on the return leg (3-2 ap), despite being two goals ahead.
The transition to the Côte d’Azur didn’t help matters. With OGC Nice, the European balance sheet takes on the appearance of an accounting nightmare. The 2024-2025 league phase campaign ended without a single victory (3 draws, 5 defeats), followed the following year by a dark series of 6 losses in as many confrontations. Irony of fate or caustic wink of destiny, the Gym will find its way to European success (3-1 against Go Ahead Eagles) in the first match played after the departure of the technician.
Now at the helm of Stade Rennais, a club experienced in continental competitions in recent years, Franck Haise hopes to find the key to the European lock. However, the season has only just begun: he has at least seven league phase matches remaining in Rennes colors to chase away his demons, including the next one, at home, against OFI Crete. Anything other than a victory would sound like a terrible failure.
