Scouting promising young centre-backs in Ligue 1 has been a joy in recent years. From the pairing of William Saliba and Wesley Fofana at Saint-Étienne to Axel Disasi and Benoît Badiashile at AS Monaco, just to name a few, the French top-flight has been a highly productive breeding ground for...
The end of the season is always a time for reflection. One year ago, Total Football Analysis published our first-ever Ligue 1 Team of the Season for the 2023/2024 campaign. Now, we’re back again with an all-star XI from the French top flight for the 2024/2025 campaign, which saw Luis...
In the summer of 2020, Florian Maurice departed Lyon, where he’d spent 11 years, his entire post-playing career — five as a scout and six as head of scouting — to embark on a new adventure across France. He swapped the lakes and slopes of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region for the...
One of the many clever signings in the summer transfer window was Stade Rennes snapping up Fabian Rieder from Young Boys - xGOLD first highlighted Rieder as a midfielder matching the profile of Lucas Paqueta, Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes, meaning we tracked him closely, our TIPPSTER model grading him as a potential...
Amazingly, Reims interrupted Rennes' streak of nearly 20 games without a loss. Under Bruno Génésio, Rennes have seen an incredible run in which their full potential has been realised. The best season in club history has unquestionably begun for Rennes, who are now in the fourth position. After a five-match...
Last weekend’s victory over Montpellier moved Stade Rennais to third in Ligue 1. Since losing two of their first four league matches, Les Rouge et Noir have remained unbeaten in all competitions. They have collected twenty-seven points after thirteen games in Ligue 1 and have enjoyed the best-ever start to a...
While most of Europe's domestic football campaign is ending, the footballing calendar is not letting up. While Sweden, Norway, and Iceland, amongst others, continue to play through their league campaigns, we also see the start of the youth international tournaments that will continue throughout the summer. We are a couple...
Benjamin Bourigeaud is a 28 year-old French winger currently playing for Rennes in the French Ligue 1. Bourigeaud is having a particularly interesting season given his outstanding work as a creator for the French side this season. Bourigeaud has made 12 assists in the league this season with only Paris...
Lovro Majer made a name for himself in his homeland with Dinamo Zagreb, where he established himself as one of the best players in the league. Like many players who emerge from outside the European mainstream leagues, he faced the question of whether he is good enough for the top...
Player recruitment in football is never an easy process. Even if you are recruiting for a club at the top level of the game and can choose from an almost unlimited pool of players, certain limitations still make the process more difficult. Let's take Liverpool as an example. With the...
Ligue 1’s defending champions, Lille, haven’t been enjoying a stellar title defence campaign this term. Les Dogues ended last season on 83 points, finishing one point ahead of PSG and earning a UEFA Champions League group stage place. While the Northerners currently top their UCL group, in which they’re competing...
Since making his first steps into first-team football at Lille back in 2016, aged just 19 years old, Martin Terrier’s career has seen plenty of ups and downs, along with plenty of instability. At just 24, Terrier (184cm/6’0, 73kg/160lbs) has already played for four different clubs in Ligue 1 —...
After guiding Strasbourg to a safe, 15th place finish in Ligue 1 this past season, Thierry Laurey’s five-year spell as RC Strasbourg manager came to an end in late May. Less than a week after his departure, Les Coureurs announced that former Rennes boss Julien Stéphan would replace Laurey at...
Nayef Aguerd is a 24-year-old Moroccan international central defender currently under contract with Rennes in the French top flight. Aguerd is listed at 188cm | 6’2” and is predominantly left-footed. He initially moved to Europe in 2018 when he left FUS Rabat in Morocco to move to France with Dijon. Initially, Aguerd...
Only one person has achieved the honour of featuring in the TFA 2020 and 2021 magazines. That player is none other than Eduardo Camavinga. Although his big transfer did not materialise last summer, rumours have it that he has officially asked the club to move him in the summer of...
The second of Chelsea’s game against Rennes was played out on Tuesday but was in no part a walkover for the English side. The Blues battled to a lacklustre win thanks to a stoppage-time goal as the game was a constant battle for control with Rennes slowly getting better as...
After being tracked by Liverpool this summer, Jérémy Doku decided to make the smarter move for his immediate career to Stade Rennais. It is believed that Jürgen Klopp still sees the 18-year-old Belgian as Sadio Mané’s successor in Merseyside. Doku will likely be brought in to replace Raphinha, who left...
Stamford Bridge will host the gameweek three fixture in the UEFA Champions League group stage between Chelsea and Rennes 4th November. This tactical analysis will take a look at how the two teams will face up against each other. Chelsea, led by Frank Lampard, won their previous UCL tie versus...
Rennes made history last season by qualifying for the UEFA Champions League for the first time by finishing third in Ligue 1, with PSG winning the title. They managed this under the order of Julien Stéphan and with an exciting team who will try to compete the best they can...
Ismaïla Sarr joined Watford last summer from French side Stade Rennais. He spent two seasons at the Ligue 1 club after starting his senior career at Metz just a year before. European giant FC Barcelona even attempted to sign the Senegalese when they were still playing for Metz. However, Sarr...
