Season 1955/1956

Having finished 3rd in the Second Division, and refused promotion following the expulsion of Red Star the previous season, Stade Rennais began another season in the second tier of French football, but with the same ambition of obtaining promotion back to the top flight. To achieve this, Rennes made major changes. Henri Guérin replaced Salvador Artigas at the helm of the club, after Artigas has spent three seasons in charge of the club as Player/Manager. Rennes also made two other, oh so important, signings for the future, with the arrivals of Cuissard, and the youngster Boutet. On the departures front, Rennes lost attacking players Bengtsson (who retired from the game), and Baillot. The Red and Blacks made the perfect start to their league campaign, winning five matches of their first seven in the league, lifting them to the top of the table. They would go on to remain in the top four in the league for the remainder of the season. They went unbeaten from matchday 19 to matchday 30, and Rennes were pretty much assured of promotion a few games before the end of the season, and finished with a flourish, winning three-in-a-row, helping them to finish as Champions of the Second Division. They ended up with the best defence, and the fifth-ranked attack in the league. In the French Cup, Rennes were knocked out by Grenoble, another Division Two side, in the round of 32, just as was the case the previous season. On the 11th December 1955, a new stand was inaugurated at the Parc des Sports de la Route de Lorient, to improve supporter comfort, with the number of supporters continually increasing.