After the heartbreak of relegation via last season’s play-off, FC Metz are once again treading the narrow path of Ligue 1 McDonald’s promotion, this time in the other direction.
Last summer was all about restructuring. Instead of a fire sale, Metz held their nerve. Key figures such as Cheikh Sabaly, now the team’s top scorer, and club captain Mathieu Udol stayed put. They were soon joined by Gauthier Hein, who made an emotional return to his hometown club, turning down the chance to play Ligue 1 football with Auxerre, and Jessy Deminguet, a tidy operator in midfield.
The addition of Benjamin Stambouli, a seasoned veteran and former PSG player, has added experience and composure in central areas. Metz’s smart business built the spine of a side capable of going toe-to-toe with Ligue 2’s best.
However, the campaign has not been a straight climb. An inconsistent start gave way to a flourishing mid-season run, with Metz emerging as one of the division’s most fluent attacking outfits. At their best, Les Grenats were irresistible going forward — Sabaly and Hein forging a potent front-line partnership, complemented by the youthful exuberance of Idrissa Gueye and Papa Amadou Diallo, both products of the club’s enduring connection with Génération Foot in Dakar.
Despite their firepower, Metz have stumbled at crucial moments. Late-season slip-ups, including draws against Red Star (2-2) and Rodez (3-3), and a damaging defeat to Pau (1-2), meant automatic promotion slipped from their grasp. A win was needed in Round 37 to take it to the wire — instead, they face the unfamiliar territory of the Ligue 2 play-offs for the first time.
“We’re obviously disappointed not to go up directly, but we’re fully focused on what’s next,” said Le Mignan. Metz will now face Guingamp, the winner of their play-off clash against Dunkerque, in a single-legged semi-final at home. Win that, and they will face the 16th-placed side in Ligue 1 in a two-legged promotion/relegation tie.
