Angers set for 21st century Ligue 1 milestone

Angers SCO will celebrate a historic feat in Ligue 1 on Sunday when they host Stade de Reims at Stade Raymond Kopa.

This weekend, Les Noirs et Blancs will become the 26th French club to play 300 Ligue 1 fixtures in the 21st century.

The club that produced the first-ever French Ballon d’Or winner, Raymond Kopa, are currently competing in their ninth top-flight campaign this century.

Over that span, Angers have suffered 136 defeats in this competition while winning just 82 Ligue 1 encounters in that time, which leaves the Pays de la Loire club with a win percentage of 27% in the French top flight.

Their highest finish in the 2000s was ninth place in 2015-16. Their 136 Ligue 1 defeats are among the most for French sides in the competition this century.

Of all French clubs that have played at least 300 Ligue 1 fixtures in the 2000s, only FC Metz (155), ESTAC Troyes (151) and AC Ajaccio (144) have lost more top-flight fixtures than Angers.

In their previous top-flight campaign, Angers picked up 28 losses, the most that any side has ever accumulated in Ligue 1 over a 38-match campaign. After five matchdays, in their return to Ligue 1, Alexandre Dujeux’s men are bottom of the table with three defeats.

GFFN | Joel Lefevre