French possibilities of UEFA Champions League success dwell or die by Paris Saint-Germain of late and the capital membership have suffered spherical of 16 exits in 5 of their final seven editions. Though the 2 exceptions to that basic rule have been the 2020 ultimate and the 2021 semifinals, it has been a desperately tough interval for Ligue 1 golf equipment on the continent since each PSG and Olympique Lyonnais reached the ultimate 4 in Portugal three years in the past. Olympique de Marseille and Stade Rennais have had a troublesome time of it whereas Lille OSC did make it out of their group in 2022 earlier than bowing out with Les Parisiens within the UCL spherical of 16.
Simply two Championnat representatives within the teams has sadly develop into fairly regular and it’ll as soon as once more be the case this season after one-time winners OM crashed out within the playoffs to Panathinaikos who did not make the minimize themselves. This version is the flip of RC Lens to signify French soccer on the Champions League stage and though many individuals could be unfamiliar with them, it’s truly a return for them after many years away from UEFA’s high membership competitors. Drawn in Group B together with Sevilla, Arsenal and PSV Eindhoven, les Sang et Or might be hoping to spring a shock by making it out of their pool equally to bitter northern rivals LOSC.
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We check out the Ligue 1 membership hoping to assist PSG buck the development as a part of an improved French exhibiting in Europe this 12 months.
How Lens acquired right here
Lens’ rise again to the summit of French soccer has been extremely speedy with Franck Haise main the favored membership from the north to consecutive seventh-place finishes after the COVID-19-impacted 2019-20 season noticed them promoted from Ligue 2 after practically 10 years away from the topflight. Les Sang et Or then loved an impressive 2022-23 marketing campaign which noticed them end only one level behind PSG to safe an unbelievable Champions League berth. Solely Lens’ dramatic 1998 Ligue 1 title which they secured on objective distinction can higher their most up-to-date Championnat exhibiting and they’ll hope to return to being continental regulars within the subsequent few years as their spectacular rebuild continues.
This can be a return, not a debut
Given Lens’ 1998 French title triumph, this season won’t be a Champions League debut for the northerners though it’s their first time again in European competitors of any description because the 2007 UEFA Cup. They boast two UCL outings from 1998 and 2002 though arguably their most memorable exhibiting got here between the 2 appearances in 2000 once they reached the semifinals of the UEFA Cup. Intriguingly, Group B adversaries Arsenal have featured greater than as soon as on Lens’ historic travels with the 2 set to resume acquaintances 23 years on from their final assembly.
The 2 first met within the 1998 Champions League group stage which noticed the Gunners held to a 1-1 attract Lens after which overwhelmed 1-0 at Wembley though a 3-1 loss to eventual semifinalists Dynamo Kiev put paid to Daniel Leclercq’s males and their hopes. Two years later, Arsenal and les Sang et Or met once more within the UEFA Cup semifinals which noticed Arsene Wenger’s facet triumph 3-1 over two legs to achieve the ultimate which they’d in the end lose to Galatasaray on penalties. One other two years on in 2002 and Lens had been again within the UCL the place they went unbeaten in opposition to Bayern Munich residence and away whereas beating each Deportivo La Coruna and Milan on well-known European nights at Stade Bollaert solely to complete 4 factors behind each of their group.
Cult heroes
What makes this Lens story much more outstanding than merely certainly one of French soccer’s historic names having fun with an overdue renaissance is how the membership got here to be acknowledged and revered as certainly one of Ligue 1’s main names. In contrast to Paris and Marseille — two of the nation’s greatest cities — and even Saint-Etienne which is one other mining metropolis to have produced one of many nation’s main soccer golf equipment, Lens is a small metropolis within the Pas-de-Calais area which is amongst France’s poorest. The realm has struggled because the Eighties when the final of the coal mines had been closed down however les Sang et Or (Blood and Gold — referencing the mines) stays an immensely well-liked cult membership in northern France and past.
Lens supporters are celebrated as a few of the most devoted in French soccer and the truth that Stade Bollaert Delelis’ complete capability is larger than the precise inhabitants of Lens itself speaks volumes as to the membership’s significance. The followers’ rendition of Les Corons — an ode to the mines and mining neighborhood by Pierre Bachelet — is much like Anfield’s emotive anthem You may By no means Stroll Alone and can’t be missed on massive Champions League nights. No matter how Lens carry out this version, each single residence sport might be a significant occasion for the membership and its devoted followers and you may anticipate them to journey properly to the likes of Arsenal, PSV and Sevilla to have a good time their triumphant return to Europe.
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Underrated squad
Though Seko Fofana and Lois Openda had been massive losses this summer time, there are nonetheless some high quality components in Franck Haise’s squad with some acquainted faces too. Goalkeeper Brice Samba is now captain and a France worldwide after leaving Nottingham Forest whereas Nampalys Mendy might be remembered by Leicester Metropolis supporters and Elye Wahi may have joined a variety of Premier League golf equipment earlier than Lens landed him from Montpellier HSC. Austria worldwide defender Kevin Danso was wished throughout Europe earlier than extending his contract and Przemyslaw Frankowski loved a spell in Main League Soccer with Chicago Hearth earlier than signing up for what has been a outstanding journey to date for the Poland worldwide.
Poor early season kind
Switch guru Florent Ghisolfi, whose skilled eye for undervalued expertise created a robust squad which Franck Haise was in a position to flip right into a formidable outfit, has since joined OGC Good and the early indicators are that will probably be robust to raised final season’s sensational second-place end. Lens come into this season’s Champions League in determined kind with only one level from their opening 5 video games in Ligue 1 which is their worst-ever begin to a marketing campaign. Nevertheless, whereas some would recommend that this European foray could possibly be a distraction, it is also a welcome launch for Lens as they give the impression of being to emerge from Group B in no less than third place with Sevilla in equally poor kind which may elevate hopes of no less than a continued continental run within the UEFA Europa League.
