A mass exodus and worrying finances: why Eric Roy fears that Brest will be fending off relegation next season | OneFootball

On the face of it, there should be cause for optimism for Stade Brestois heading into the final game of the Ligue 1 season. It has been a year rich in fresh experiences for Les Ty-Zéfs, who played in European football for the first time in the club’s history. Eric Roy has just extended his contract, bringing an end to the uncertainty surrounding his future, and there is an outside chance of a return to European football next season.

The run in the UEFA Champions League was the shining light in what domestically has been a middling campaign for Brest, but one that was also necessary in a financial sense, as Roy revealed earlier this week. “Luckily, there was this adventure in the Champions League because without it, we would have closed down,” said Roy, who then painted a bleak picture of next season. “I think that, for now, Brest are condemned to fighting for their survival.”

Little investment expected

Roy has, at times, struck a pessimistic tone, at one point voicing fears that the club would be at threat from relegation this season, following a defeat to AS Monaco back in November. Currently, his side are eighth.

However, the fear for the upcoming season seems more well-founded. “I have been told about the financial state of the club. I don’t think that there will be too much investment in players for next year,” he said earlier this week. That is an even greater issue given that a mass exodus is expected in the transfer window.

An unlikely European qualification for Brest?

The loans of Abdallah Sima, Soumaïla Coulibaly, Romain Faivre, Edimilson Fernandes, and Abdoulaye Ndiaye will all come to an end; Jonas Martin, Massadio Haïdara, and Jordan Amavi are all expected to leave on free transfers; Mahdi Camara will be allowed to leave the club; and Mama Baldé, Marco Bizot, and Mathias Pereira Lage could all also leave, as per L’Équipe.

Without significant funds to rejuvenate the squad, concern for the future is logical at Brest. However, going into the final game of the season, there is hope of an injection of money that could improve the picture. Currently eighth, there is an outside chance that Les Brestois will qualify for European competition in the event that Stade de Reims lose the Coupe de France final, against Paris Saint-Germain, and Olympique Lyonnais are excluded from European competition by UEFA, who are concerned about OL’s dire financial situation. It is an outside chance for Brest, who otherwise may face a tough summer and a tough 2025/26 season.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle