Season 1981/1982

After a disappointing 1980/1981 season, Stade Rennais started its fifth consecutive season in the Second Division with the same ambition, obtaining promotion back to the top flight of French football. In order to do so, the Red and Blacks would bolster their squad in all positions, signing several players with considerable experience in the First Division, such as M'Pelé, Tischner, Vésir, and goalkeeper Dusé. They were brought in to compensate for the departures of key players such as Steck, Klimek and Izquierdo. In stark contrast to the previous year, Rennes got off to a decent start to their league campaign, figuring in the promotion places right from the beginning of the season. But the team would lose touch with their direct competition, in the shape of Mulhouse and Rouen, as the season wore on, mainly due to a barren spell in the Autumn months. Rennes finally got back into the promotion race thanks to a good run between mid-December and mid-February (unbeaten between Matchdays 14 and 25). Unfortunately, they fell off the pace in the final sprint, losing matches to their promotion rivals (4 defeats in the last 9 matches of the season.) Rennes would end up 5th in Group B, with the 3rd-best defence, but with only the 7th best attack in the league. Their French Cup run would hardly inspire either, eliminated by local neighbours Saint Malo as early as the 6th Round.