Season 1936/1937

After a below-par 1935/1936 campaign, there were many changes at Stade Rennais during the close-season. Rennes lost their top scorer Walter Vollweiler, and his First Team Manager, Schneider, who were replaced by the duo Batmale and Kaiser. On the arrivals front, Rennes did bolster the squad with new arrivals, who would be crucial for the subsequent season, with players such as Benouna, Aoued and Boesinger. In a First Division made up of 16 teams, Rennes got off to a disastrous start to the season, and the signs were there for all to see that it would be a difficult campaign for the Red and Blacks. After ten games, Stade Rennais had already amassed eight defeats, and got their battle to stave off relegation started rather (too) late, managing just three wins in the first half of the season. They would spend the majority of the season between 15th and 16th positions (next-to-bottom, and bottom spot) in the league. Their second half of the season was a slight improvement, with five wins to their credit, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Red and Blacks from being relegated for the first time in the club's history, finishing in 15th, with the ninth-ranked defence and the worst attack in the First Division. In the French Cup, Rennes were eliminated in the Round of 16 by reigning holders RC Paris. At the end of the campaign, Rennes' situation, both from a sporting as well as from a financial perspective was in a critical state.