A new name will be etched on the Coupe de la Ligue this Saturday, when France's most successful club, Saint-Etienne, lock horns with one of the country's great underachievers, Rennes.
Frédéric Antonetti may have been disparaging about his own players this week, but Ligue1.com's Matthew Spiro believes Saturday could be the day Stade Rennais finally shake off the ‘nearly men' tag and become winners at last.
With Saint-Etienne and Rennes looking to break decades-long trophy droughts in Saturday's Coupe de la Ligue final, both coaches were out to ease the pressure on their respective teams in the pre-match press conferences.
Stade Rennais FC are the outsiders but are determined to end their long trophy drought in Saturday's Coupe de la Ligue final against AS Saint-Etienne, says general manager Pierre Dreossi.
Frédéric Antonetti expressed his delight for his Stade Rennais players after qualifying for the Coupe de la Ligue final, while furious Montpellier boss René Girard said his side played the semi-final as if it was a friendly game.
Julien Féret scored the opening goal as Stade Rennais FC reached the Coupe de la Ligue final for the first time with a 2-0 defeat of Montpellier Hérault SC on Wednesday.
AS Saint-Etienne coach Christophe Galtier called his side "a team of men" after they showed character in coming through a penalty shoot-out to reach the Coupe de la Ligue final at the expense of LOSC Lille.
AS Saint-Etienne are through to a major final for the first time in 31 years after beating LOSC Lille on penalties in the last four of the Coupe de la Ligue at a freezing Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on Tuesday.
Rennes boss Frédéric Antonetti saluted his side's gutsy 3-2 win over Troyes, whose coach Jean-Marc Furlan said that 17-year-old goalscorer Corentin Jean is one to watch for the future.