Our next opponents: Storied club with a new head coach and loyal fans

In 2023/24, Racing Club de Lens finished seventh in the Ligue 1 table, narrowly missing out on a place in the UEFA Europa League on the very last matchday. After a 2-2 draw against Montpellier, in which RCL let a 2-0 lead slip away, Olympique Lyon squeezed past them in the standings. Lens will therefore compete in the UEFA Conference League play-offs next season.

Last season, the tradition-rich club from the once important coal-mining region, who were founded in 1906, played in the UEFA Champions League. The Red & Yellows finished third in a group with Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven and Sevilla before being eliminated in the Europa League knockout stages by SC Freiburg (0-0; 2-3 aet).

RUNNERS-UP IN 2022/23

The previous year, Lens had gone head-to-head with Paris Saint-Germain for the Ligue 1 title. In the end, despite a strong finish to the 2022/23 campaign with seven consecutive wins, RCL finished just one point behind PSG in second place, thus narrowly missing out on their second title to go with their triumph in 1997/98. Striker Lois Openda, who subsequently moved to RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga, played a major role in this fine season with 21 goals.

A PROMISING YOUNG COACH

Until recently, Franck Haise was the Lens coach. Under the 53-year-old, RC were promoted back to Ligue 1 in 2020 after several years in the second tier. After two seventh-place finishes, Haise then led the club to the runners-up spot two seasons ago. A few weeks ago, the Frenchman moved to league rivals OGC Nice on the Côte d'Azur.

Will Still has been the new head coach at Lens since 1 July. The Belgian-born son of English parents had previously spent two years at French first division club Stade Reims and was the youngest coach in Europe's top five leagues at the age of 31. For Pierre Dréossi, General Director of RC Lens, Still was "our absolute priority to fill the coaching position." The Brit is one of the most promising coaches in Ligue 1.

A TEAM WITH PLENTY OF POTENTIAL

One of the key players in his new team is Austrian international Kevin Danso. As a centre-back, the former Augsburg and Düsseldorf player was part of the squad for Austria at the European Championships in Germany. At Lens, Danso developed into one of the top defenders in Ligue 1 and made a significant contribution to the Red & Yellows boasting the best defence in the French league in the 2022/23 season, conceding just 29 goals in 38 games. Goalkeeper and captain Brice Samba is also a guarantee for their strong defence. Additionally, the Argentinian Facundo Medina and Polish international Przemyslaw Frankowski are also regulars in the back line. New signings include centre-back Malang Sarr from Chelsea FC and Ecuadorian Jhoanner Chavez, an international team-mate of Werkself star Piero Hincapie.

In attack, France U23 international Elye Wahi broke into the forefront last season. With nine goals, he was his team's top scorer, closely followed by Florian Sotoca and Wesley Said with seven goals apiece. Fellow striker Morgan Guilavogui was loaned out to FC St. Pauli this summer.

"WELCOME TO THE STICKS"

Lens are a force to be reckoned with, especially at home in the Stade Bollaert-Delelis. Opened in 1933, the stadium is located in the heart of the city and has been renovated and remodelled several times over the decades. It was a venue for the 1984 and 2016 UEFA European Championships as well as the 1998 World Cup. Today, it boasts a capacity of 38,223 spectators and is usually sold out. This is astonishing, as Lens only has a population of around 32,000.

The region and the stadium are also known for the comedy flick "Welcome to the Sticks" (2008). Anyone travelling with the Werkself to Lens can also look forward to an extraordinary, family atmosphere in the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, where the singing is loud and passionate. The fans' standing-only terrace is located along the touchline and not behind one of the goals as usual. And as the enthusiasm is so great, season tickets are hard to come by.