Legendary club Stade de Reims rising from the ashes

Stade de Reims was at one time the kings of France and one of the most feared teams in Europe.

Since their glorious run through the 1950’s and 1960’s, they have struggled to remain relevant. French football has much to gain from a reemergence by Reims. The question is whether they can rise from the ashes to become a player in France again.

The Past

French legends Robert Jonquet, Just Fontaine and Raymond Kopa all donned the red and white of Stade de Reims. The three were instrumental in Reims’ rise to the top of French football, and European prominence. From 1952 to 1962 Reims claimed five French league titles. During that span, they also won the Latin Cup and finished runner-up to Real Madrid in the 1956 and 1959 European Cup.

Just Fontaine’s retirement in 1962 set the wheels in motion for the clubs decline. Injuries forced the gifted Fontaine to retire at age 28. With Jonquet having left for Strasbourg in 1960 and the incomparable Kopa on the wrong side of 30, Reims found themselves relegated in 1964.

Reims bounced between the second division and the top flight for the remainder of the decade. After gaining promotion in 1970, they would remain in the top flight until 1979, finishing no higher than fifth. Their fans would suffer over the next three decades as the once mighty Reims battled relegation and financial issues. In the 1990’s Reims found themselves bouncing between National (3rd division) and Championnat de France amateur (4th division).

The club was finally able to get moving in the right direction and returned to Ligue 1 for the 2012-2013 season. The return lasted four years as they were unable to stave off relegation last season.

The Future

In 2014, Reims opened their new Louis Bleriot training center. The investment into upgrading their facilities is the first step in building a lasting foundation. Focusing on improving their academy should pay dividends down the road. Producing Ligue 1 caliber players from their academy is a must given their budget constraints.

As the club begins to produce high level players from their youth squads, the team will have the talent to continue their climb. The selling of players to larger clubs can increase their revenue allowing for further investment in players, coaches and other club needs. While Reims may never have the financial backing of a PSG or Monaco, they can follow the Lyon and Saint-Etienne model of development to become a consistent top of the table team.

With smart transfer deals, Reims can fill out their roster with competitive players of good quality. They can also look to be a preferred loan destination for some of the bigger clubs around Europe. Saint-Etienne struck gold in its loan deal with AC Milan that brought Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Les Verts. Giving one potential gem a chance can help a club make a mighty move up the standings.

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What their rise would mean for Ligue 1

France is a league dominated by the financial and star power of PSG. In ways it has been good at shedding more light on French football, but Ligue 1 needs additional stories to become more relevant. Stade de Reims rising from the depths of amateur football to regain a place at or near the top of the table would be a feel good story throughout the world game.

There are no guarantees that this story will have its fairy tale ending. It is the hope of this writer that the efforts being made by the club bear fruit down the road. Currently Reims sits fourth in Ligue 2 tied on points with the third and final promotion spot. Ligue 1 needs the return of Champagne football, and fans of the game deserve to see this legendary club rise from the ashes.