Season 1956/1957

Having succeeded in getting promoted back to the First Division, after winning the Second Division title the previous season, Stade Rennais were naturally aiming to establish themselves in the long term in the top flight. To achieve this goal, Rennes would recruit Mahi, Dombeck and Méano, future first-choice players who would go straight into battle to cover for the departure of their top scorer, Grumellon. The club would have a catastrophic start to the season, however, achieving just a draw and a single win in the opening nine matchdays. Rennes would soon find themselves bottom of the table, a place which they would occupy on 15 occasions that season, they would remain in the lower reaches of the table for virtually the whole campaign. However, despite only suffering a single defeat in the last five matches, the Red and Blacks were unable to avoid the relegation play-offs, ending up in 16th place. They finished the season with the worst attack in the First Division, the 14th-rated defence, and they would be the least effective side away from home, managing one solitary victory away. In the Play-Offs, Rennes would succumb to Lille after three matches (2-0, 1-3, 1-2). Rennes were thus relegated back to the Second Division, just a season after leaving it. Rennes would be knocked out of the French Cup in the Round of 32 by Nancy (bottom club in the top flight). The only positive footnote of the season: Rennes would be the first season to end the unbeaten run of future champions AS Saint-Etienne (in a 1-0 win on Matchday 13).