Le Mans Earns First Promotion to Ligue 1 Since 2010

On Wednesday, the Ligue de Football Professionnel confirmed Le Mans' promotion to Ligue 1 after awarding the club a 2‑0 victory in their final match of the season, which was halted at Bastia.

The club last competed in France's top division during the 2009/10 campaign and was relegated to the sixth tier in 2013 due to financial difficulties.

Le Mans were ahead 2‑0 in injury time in Corsica when the referee stopped the game after Bastia supporters began throwing flares onto the field.

Bastia were subsequently relegated to the third‑tier National.

The LFP announced that Le Mans' win was “definitively confirmed,” securing the club the second automatic promotion spot, two points ahead of Saint‑Étienne and seven behind champions Troyes.

Saint‑Étienne will contest the play‑off semi‑finals against Rodez on Friday.

The victor will then play the 16th‑placed Ligue 1 side, Nice, later this month in the play‑off final.

Le Mans is owned by the Brazilian investment fund OutField, with minority shareholders including Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, tennis champion Novak Djokovic, and former Formula One driver Felipe Massa.

The article “Le Mans promoted to Ligue 1 for first time since 2010” originally appeared on Vanguard News.