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Angers SCO relegated to Ligue 2 after a 4-2 loss at Rennes on matchday 33 of the Ligue 1 season.
Following a 4-2 defeat to Rennes on Sunday at Roazhon Park, Angers formally dropped from Ligue 1 to Ligue 2.
Les Gones’ 2-1 victory kept their dwindling chances of survival alive for a little while longer on Friday night. They played match against Lyon at Strasbourg Stadium. Les Scoistes’ demise may have been assured, but their fate was not.
Angers, who are 18 points behind Strasbourg and Nantes in 20th place with six games remaining, would have needed a miraculous winning streak and a huge swing in goal difference to keep their top-flight status.
Nabil Bentaleb opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 19th minute for Alexandre Dujeux’s side, but Amine Gouiri equalised for the hosts just six minutes later.
Angers defeated by a brace from Jeremy Doku after an entertaining first half that included an own goal by Cedric Hountondji and an Ibrahima Niane strike.
Les Scoistes, who cannot finish higher than 18th, have just 14 points from 33 games this season as they prepare to leave Ligue 1 after an eight-year stay after being promoted from Ligue 2 in 2014-15.
Angers SCO will play in Ligue 2 after huge league loss
Angers can’t pull off the impossible escape from Ligue 2 with 18 points separating them from safety. They now have five Ligue 1 games remaining. Les Scostes will now play with the sole goal of not finishing last. To make matters worse for the Anjou club, FIFA has imposed a two-season transfer ban due to a dispute with Espérance de Tunis over the free transfer of full-back Ilyes Chetti last summer. Chetti’s club has suspended him for a month following a four-month suspended prison sentence for sexual assault.
Angers have indicated that they intend to file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The team will be desperate to avoid a ban this summer. This, according to Ouest-France, is the result of the team are now downgraded to Ligue 2. They now has 16 players whose contracts expire this summer.
