'It's Like Formula One': Angers SCO's Improbable Survival

The Ligue 1 minnows have stayed up thanks to their indomitable team spirit in what is a true footballing fairytale.

"Château d'Ussé" by proper dave is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

When pitch invasions feature in l'Hexagone's morning papers, it's usually for all the wrong reasons. Lens, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Saint-Étienne and Troyes are a few of the teams who have made headlines for shocking incidents of fan violence in recent years, a problem the French government has responded to with blanket bans on travelling fans, heavy-handed policing and the proposed dissolution of the country's most prominent ultra groups. It was a relief, therefore, to see a different story emerge from the Stade Raymond Kopa following Angers's 2-1 victory against Strasbourg, as jubilant SCO supporters - rather than a group of frenzied masked hooligans - stormed the pitch in celebration of an achievement that had seemed improbable only ten months ago.

It's a well-known secret that most teams in Ligue 1 have had financial problems ever since the collapse of the Mediapro deal in 2020 and in the Anjou, where the league's smallest team resides, these difficulties have been existential. Les Scoïstes have operated on a paltry budget of €25 million and the financial squeeze has been felt multiple times this season; new arrivals have either been free transfers or loans and player wages were paid late in February as the club struggled to balance the books. In finishing 14th, Les Angevins have not only secured their Ligue 1 survival but demonstrated that through incredible team camaraderie and a never-say-die attitude, that anything is possible in football, a resounding success put into eloquent petrolhead terms by sporting director Laurent Boissier:

"It's like Formula 1. We didn't have the best car on the grid and generally, the lesser cars don't win the race. But I had confidence in ourselves and in our work."

Under legendary manager Stéphane Moulin, Angers were widely applauded for their smart recruitment and excellent coaching. Rayan Aït-Nouri, Nicolas Pépé and Karl Toko Ekambi were some of the names sold for considerable profits as Les Noirs et Blancs developed into a stable Ligue 1 outfit, but following the departure of Moulin in 2021, the club slowly descended into chaos and were relegated in 2023 on a pitiful 18 points. Having been appointed in March 2023, manager Alexandre Dujeux has helped reorganise and stabilise Les Scoïstes, guiding them back to Ligue 1 at the first time of asking, but the previous top flight campaign and the club's precarious finances meant that little was expected of Les Angevins this season.

"Panorama of Angers, France" by Cathedral City Guide is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

A Recipe for Success

Dujeux has therefore surprised many with his brave and pragmatic management. Angers's are known for their compact defensive shape and direct, counter-attacking football, yet in a recent interview with l'Équipe, centre-back Jordan Lefort revealed that Dujeux encouraged him to be confident in possession and take risks whilst playing out from the back, something not often associated with newly promoted teams and very different to the no-nonsense role Lefort played with Amiens during his first spell in Ligue 1. Winless until week nine of the season, the 49-year old kept the intensity and pressure on his team to dig deep and play for the badge, principles eventually rewarded in a dramatic 4-2 win against Saint-Étienne, a display full of grit and perseverance kickstarting Angers's season and underlining the stubbornness with which Les Noirs et Blancs would fight for top flight survival.

This quality proved invaluable in recent weeks as Les Scoïstes dealt with mounting injuries and and a dressing room low on confidence following five consecutive defeats in March and early April. Dujeux's decision to switch away from a 4-2-3-1 and temporarily play a 5-3-2 to stabilise a febrile defence was vindicated in a 2-0 win over Montpellier, restoring belief ahead of a crucial tie against regional rivals Nantes, where Les Angevins truly demonstrated that they were a team greater than the sum of its parts. Ligue 1 debutante Ousmane Camara and 18-year old midfielder Marius Courcoul impressed, and all three points were secured through the unlikeliest of sources when substitute winger Jim Allevinah scored his first and only goal of the season. A force to be reckoned with not for their technical superiority vis-à-vis their opponents, but rather for their determination in the face of adversity, Angers's success has been built on their exemplary attitude, a characteristic Dujeux was quick to praise following victory at the Stade de la Beaujoire:

"I was told after we beat Reims that we were basically safe. After that game, we suffered a lot but today we secured three precious points. We have a squad with moral and character and we've proven that we're still here. It's very, very good. You need a lot of resilience in this profession and to keep the faith until the end."

This resilience has been supplemented by an outstanding set of performances from the squad. Young Ivorian goalkeeper Yahia Fofana has been fantastic, his 136 saves and 13.9 goals prevented after week thirty-three of the season ranking as the best and second best in the league, whilst Jordan Lefort has played every minute of a gruelling campaign as the team's defensive leader. Midfield has been marshalled by the experienced Jean-Eudes Aholou and Haris Belkebla, a real bulldog adept at winning duels and regaining possession, alongside breakout star Yassin Belkhdim. The 23-year old Moroccan has proven to be an effective box-to-box midfielder, distinguishing himself through his ability to sharply win the ball back, intelligent reading of the game and Duracell bunny-like energy and stamina. Author of a sumptuous free kick against Reims, left-winger Farid El-Melali has chipped in with 3 assists as a willing dribbler whose pace on the counter-attack has been difficult to defend against.

"Abdelli asse sco 2425" by Paté kroute is marked with CC0 1.0.

The stars of the show, however, have been attacking midfielder Himad Abdelli and striker Estéban Lepaul. Les Scoïstes best technician, Abdelli is a special player. Physically strong with magical feet that dazzle in tight spaces, the Algerian is adept at splitting defences with slick, line-breaking passes and his ability to dictate games has marked him out as Angers's very own little Mozart. Lepaul has been immense in 2025 and his exploits have established him as a bona fide cult hero. Arriving from SAS Épinal for only €150,000 last January, the 25-year old renard des surfaces has been the defining player of the second half of the season with his precious goals against Auxerre, Brest, Montpellier and Strasbourg. With Bamba Dieng and Ibrahima Niane initially ahead of him in the pecking order, Lepaul had to wait for his opportunity, but his subsequent rise to prominence makes him the perfect poster boy for everything Angers have achieved this season. A season where anyone and everyone could become the hero. A season in which the unexpected has come to be expected.

This was reaffirmed as Angers's beat Strasbourg to secure Ligue 1 survival. Lepaul was once again the hero, scoring two invaluable goals against a side gunning for Champions League qualification. Capitalising on a mistake from Mamadou Sarr, Lepaul outmuscled the young defender before smashing the ball into the bottom left corner, following this up in the second half with a powerful header that blasted past goalkeeper Djordje Petrović. Les Noirs et Blancs defended resolutely as they resisted countless Strasbourg attacks and were given a massive helping hand as Fofana demonstrated cat-like acrobatics in the dying embers of the game, dramatically swivelling his body round to tip over Valentin Barco's deflected cross. As the final whistle blew at the Stade Raymond Kopa and ecstatic fans flooded onto the pitch in rapturous celebration of an achievement that had initially seemed unthinkable, it was impossible to not become completely besotted by a story that plucks at the heartstrings of every football romantic. In such hedonistic circumstances, pitch invasions surely become acceptable.

Whilst a few well-deserved bottles of Crémant de Loire would have been popped in celebration of their success, Angers are aware of the daunting challenges facing them next season, with a number of key players nearing the end of their contracts and an already tiny budget set to decrease even further. Yet the club remain confident that they can repeat the trick. So they should be, with Angers’s story well suited to the enchanting Pays de la Loire, famous for impressive castles such as the Château d'Ussé which inspired author Charles Perrault to write The Sleeping Beauty. Except this time, it's a real life fairytale.