Rennes kicks off Europa League run aiming to reach the top 8

Rennes begin their Europa League campaign on Wednesday at 21:00 with a trip to Sturm Graz, with the focus firmly on delivering the right level and, above all, making sure they’re still in the competition by the winter break. The backdrop is positive: the team are co-leaders of Ligue 1 after four matchdays under Franck Haise.

A continental return

As L’Équipe notes, it’s been 937 days since Rennes last tasted that sort of European pressure, the last time being their dramatic clash with AC Milan—winning 3-2 after a 0-3 defeat in the first leg during the Europa League playoffs. Austria is the new stage, and the club wants to start strong.

Rennes are in this competition thanks to French Cup context: Lens secured the place, and Rennes finished sixth in Ligue 1 last spring to take the spot. It’s also a marker of the club’s growth—their seventh European campaign in the last nine seasons, one more than in all their earlier history (excluding the Intertoto), according to the paper.

“Be very serious”

In his comments ahead of the trip, Haise underlines the mindset required for Europe: “Ce sera à nous d’être très sérieux et de montrer une belle image”, as reported by L’Équipe. The message is direct—Rennes want to compete properly from the opening match and keep their hopes of reaching the top 8 alive.

From here, the key will be consistency: turning a confident domestic start into enough points to be firmly in the mix once the group stage twists into the decisive phase.