Stade Rennais manager Franck Haise extended his winless streak in the UEFA Europa League to 17 matches following a 0-0 draw against Sturm Graz in Austria on September 16, 2026. Despite dominating early phases and having an Adrien Thomasson goal disallowed, Haise leaned into the historical statistic with characteristic humor, telling Canal+ reporters to “come back next time” for his maiden victory in the competition.
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The Anatomy of a Persistent European Drought
The numbers paint an unforgiving portrait of managerial persistence. According to data highlighted by Stats Foot, Franck Haise stands as the manager who has directed the most matches in the UEFA Europa League without ever securing a victory, compiling a record of 12 defeats and 5 draws across 17 total fixtures. But the tape from the match tells a story of fine margins rather than systemic collapse.
Rennes controlled large segments of the opening period against Sturm Graz. Midfielder Adrien Thomasson thought he had broken the deadlock, only for the officiating crew to chalk the effort off. As the match wore into the second half, the tactical momentum shifted. The Austrian hosts applied heavy pressure, forcing the Breton side to settle for a pragmatic, defensive stalemate.
This European hoodoo stems largely from two turbulent campaigns with OGC Nice across 2024 and 2025—including a six-loss run in six matches last year—alongside initial transitional matches following a third-place finish in the UEFA Champions League group stage with RC Lens. Ironically, the continent’s elite stage treated Haise more kindly; he secured two victories during Lens’ 2023 Champions League venture before sliding into the secondary European competition.
Tactical Balancing Acts and Locker Room Positivity
Here is what the superficial scoreline missed: defensive stability. Speaking to Canal+ after the whistle, Haise dismissed the ongoing statistical noise with a sharp quip. “My first win in the Europa League is still not here? Come back next time, we’ll try again,” he joked before pivoting to tactical positives.
“We start with an away point in European competition, we’ll have to build on it for our first home match against OFI Crète on October 15, we continue our run and we continue to progress. We didn’t concede a goal for the second time, things are moving forward,” Haise analyzed.
Yet, as Haise acknowledged, elite football demands a delicate equilibrium between defensive resilience and clinical execution in the final third.
Historical Context of Franck Haise’s European Campaigns
| Club | Competition | Key Record / Context |
|---|---|---|
| RC Lens | UEFA Champions League (2023) | Secured 2 victories before transitioning to C3. |
| OGC Nice | UEFA Europa League (2024–2025) | Endured back-to-back difficult campaigns, including a 6/6 run of defeats last year. |
| Stade Rennais | UEFA Europa League (2026) | Opened the league phase with a 0-0 draw away to Sturm Graz. |
The Road Ahead to Roazhon Park
With domestic momentum firmly intact following a victory over Marseille, Rennes must now manage fixture congestion.
Barring an unforeseen collapse, the Breton side possesses the squad depth to lift the continental monkey off their manager’s back. Haise will get his next opportunity to rewrite the narrative when Rennes host OFI Crète at Roazhon Park in mid-October. Until then, the locker room remains focused on translating domestic sharpness into European conviction.
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