Cruel week for FC Fleury 91. Beaten in the final of the Coupe de France against PSG (1-0) last Saturday, the Essonne club collapsed this Wednesday afternoon during the last day of the championship, losing against Montpellier (2-3) at the Robert-Bobin stadium in Bondoufle. A defeat which allows Stade de Reims, winner at the same time of a revamped PSG (2-1), to snatch fourth place from D1 Arkema, qualifying for the playoffs, in the form of a “Final Four” .
The season ends here on this score, unfortunately, unfavorable for our Lionesses 🦁
Congratulations on this magnificent journey 👏🤩
Thank you everyone for being present and for being behind Fleury ❤️🖤#GoLionesses🦁 pic.twitter.com/l7wj0TFmwv
— FC Fleury 91 Féminines (@FCF91_feminines) May 8, 2024
Fabrice Abriel had warned: he did not expect any gifts and knew that his team had to win at all costs to maintain fourth place. But the coach certainly didn’t expect the gifts to be made by his own players. A penalty conceded in the 4th minute, a disastrous marking from a corner in the 34th, and Montpellier already led 2-0 at the break. Superstitious and annoyed by the lack of visibility, Léa Le Garrec’s teammates obtained the right to change jerseys, going from white to red and black at the break.
Carried by their unleashed captain, passer and scorer, they then believed they could turn everything around, equalizing at 2-2 in the 56th minute. But, too physically worn out, the Essonniennes lacked lucidity and a bit of luck against Montpellier determined to finish the championship well. Léa Khelifi, who had missed a penalty in the first period (30th), finally crucified the Essonniennes (78th) in a counter-attack. On the Champagne side, the young people of PSG failed to reverse the trend against the Rémoises, who led 2-1 at the break.
Reims, 42 years later…
Léa Le Garrec, in tears on the sidelines upon her exit, and Fleury 91 let slip a historic result. It is therefore Reims who will challenge OL this Sunday May 12 (5 p.m.) in the semi-final of the playoffs. 42 years since the Champenoises had not entered the top 4 of the French Women’s Championship… The other semi-final, already known before this last day, will pit PSG against Paris FC this Saturday, May 11 (9 p.m.) at the Parc des Princes.
“We should not regret this match but the season,” analyzes Fabrice Abriel, speaking to Canal + Foot. We lost points when we were in control. We had our destiny in our hands. Montpellier wanted to beat us. It’s a great experience. We will take the time to take stock with the president, the players… The hardest thing in football is to repeat the good things. We are not yet able to do it. We need a little more quality, depth and we will be able to dream higher. »
When the Reims players learn live of their qualification for the D1 Arkema play-offs after Fleury’s defeat against Montpellier 👀#D1Arkema pic.twitter.com/xp79aWcmsd
— CANAL+ Foot (@CanalplusFoot) May 8, 2024
The other results this Wednesday saw some surprises, starting with the first defeat of the season for OL, very rejuvenated, at Bordeaux (1-2). Bordeaux and Lille, who obtained a draw at Saint-Étienne (1-1), fall into D2 but already knew it. In the other two matches, Paris FC lost at home against Dijon (0-1) and Le Havre won at Guingamp (4-3). Finally, with 18 goals, PSG striker Tabitha Chawinga finished at the top of the scorers’ rankings. With 10 assists, just like Lyonnaise Kadidiatou Diani and Parisienne (PFC) Clara Matéo, she shares first place in the scorers ranking.
