The nightmare scenario that feared Stade de Reims is now a reality. From Wednesday, the Champagne Club will fight to stay in Ligue 1 when they travel to Stade Saint-Symphorien for the opening leg of their relegation play-off tie with FC Metz.
Three days later they will play one of the most meaningful matches in club history when they are confronted with Paris Saint-Germain in the Coupe de France final in the Stade de France. Reims have won three trophies this century, all in lower domestic competitions, but nobody has almost as much meaning as the Coupe de France.
As much as it would mean for this club to win that competition for the first time since the 1957-58 season, Samba Diawara may have to give priority to the survival of top flight above that. It is not what might want to hear of his loyal fans, but the fact is that setting Ligue 2 could have considerable consequences for the former six-time top-flight French champions.
Although the club has many talented players, they fell apart in the second half of this season. The early days under Luka Elsner were promising, with Reims in hunting Europe on the way to the last month of 2024. The wheels lost weight in 2025, with this side only collected 13 points of 17 games in the second half of the competition. Elsner was therefore fired at the beginning of February.
His successor, Samba Diawara, did not do it better, where Reims lost their last three domestic encounters of the season. Surviving relegation must be at the forefront because they can lose many important players this summer when they go to Ligue 2.
Junya Ito (32), Keito Nakamura (24), Oumar Diakité (21) and Yehvann Diouf (25) are all important parts of this team. This season ITO was the leading casual maker in Ligue 1 (83). Nakamura led them with 11 goals in Ligue 1 and Diakité was bound with ITO with four. Diouf was now the first in the competition for goals (15.9) and third in savings percentage (74.2).
Although they are all contraction with the club after the following season, when reims is relegated, it is quite possible that they each want to move to a top side who wants their services. They would all probably also attract interest from larger clubs, even if it comes with a fee, and their chances of playing for their respective world cup teams, assuming that the ivory coast and Senegal are also eligible, would increase considerably.
Losing even one or two of those players, even for a loan movement, can damage the chances of the club to compete in Ligue 2 next season. We saw what happened when Marshall Munetsi (28) came to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the winter, because this team completely destroyed himself. Even if the level in Ligue 2 is under Ligue 1, losing Ito, Nakamura, Diakité and/or Diouf would be an even greater disaster than the second half of this recently completed top campaign for them.
In an ideal world, Reims would win great on Wednesday in the opening leg of their relegation on Wednesday, but given how poor they have been this year in the attacking third, even against lower teams, that is difficult to imagine.
Diawara can be reluctant to leave some of their top players on the couch in the final of the Coupe de France, but the survival of relegation and following next season is more important. They need new players who have the energy needed to keep a metz side that is desperate to return to the top flight.
Even the top players of Reims will have a hard time against PSG's secondary team. Remaining in Ligue 1 must be the top priority. At the same time, PSG is preparing for the UEFA Champions League final, and it is possible Luis Enrique will not put the best XI on the field in the Coupe de France -Final, since they will prioritize their Champions League match against Inter on 31 May.
That is another reason for Diawara to follow the example and to ensure that he manages the minutes of his top players and gives some of them a rest. He needs them when she hosts Metz at Stade Auguste-Delaune on 29 May with their Ligue 1-Lot on the line.