Season 2001/2002

After three disjointed seasons unter Le Guen, Stade Rennais changed it’s sporting direction, with the arrival of Gourcuff to impose his style of play, and put an end to splashing the cash on new signings as had happened in the summer of 2000. Durand, Piquionne and Monterrubio were the only recruits. The manager installed his beloved 4-4-2 formation straight away in the Intertoto Cup. The understanding and compatibility of the duo Monterrubio and Lucas tore apart the defence of Synot in a 5-0 thrashing, but they were to come up short against Aston Villa in the next round. The first home game against Auxerre exposed the major problems in the Red and Blacks’ defence (0-5). During the winter transfer window, with Rennes sitting in 12th with just 19 points, the Bretons strengthened their side with the arrivals of Batlles, Sorlin and Maoulida, whilst the Brazilian delegation was being progressively eased out of the picture, this despite Fabiano’s highly successful return from a spell on loan. Rennes were eliminated from both cups by Lorient, one of which came in the Semi-Finals, the Red and Blacks secured their Ligue 1 status in the penultimate game of the season with a 1-0 win over Sedan. The disappointing season was enough to seal the fate of the stubborn Breton manager, who was sacked as a result.