Stade Rennais FCStade Rennais FC, commonly known simply as Rennes, was founded on 10 March 1901 by a group of former students in the Breton city of Rennes. After a modest start — the club lost its first-ever match 6–0 to local rivals FC Rennais — the two sides merged in 1904 to form Stade Rennais Université Club, the direct ancestor of today's team, which adopted its current name in 1972.
Rennes reached its first Coupe de France final in 1922 but had to wait decades for its breakthrough: the club won the trophy for the first time in 1965, added a second title in 1971, and completed the set with a memorable win over Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in the 2019 final, after trailing 2–0. These three triumphs remain the club's only major honours to date; Rennes has never won the French league title, though the 2019–20 season brought a historic third-place finish in Ligue 1 — still the club's best-ever league position — which earned Rennes its first-ever appearance in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
Since 1998, the club has been owned by the Pinault family through their holding company Artémis, whose investment transformed Rennes from a side regularly shuttling between the top two divisions into a stable fixture of Ligue 1's upper half. Central to this rise has been the club's youth academy, the Henri Guérin Training Centre, widely regarded as one of the finest in French football. Talents developed there include Sylvain Wiltord, Yoann Gourcuff, Ousmane Dembélé, Eduardo Camavinga and Jérémy Doku, several of whom went on to become full France internationals after leaving Rennes for some of Europe's biggest clubs.
The team, nicknamed Les Rouge et Noir for its red-and-black colours, plays its home matches at Roazhon Park, in use since 1912 and known for its atmosphere generated by the Roazhon Celtic Kop supporters' group. Rennes's main domestic rivalry is the Derby Breton against neighbouring Nantes. Combining a productive academy with steady ownership, the club has established itself as a regular presence in European competition and a model of sustainable growth in French football.
