From underdogs to top contenders: RC Lens' remarkable rise

A look at their Journey from Promotion to Champions League

RC Lens are a French professional club based in the town of Lens in the northern part of the country. The club was founded in 1906 and has a rich history of success, including a Ligue 1 title in the 1997-98 season, as well as reaching the final of the UEFA Cup in the exact same year.

The club have a loyal fanbase and plays its home matches at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis, which has to ability to fit in approx. 40,000 spectators. Their style of play is known for its attacking capabilities, and their journey from promotion to securing a Champions League spot is an exciting one.

The French club spent most of its time in the lower divisions but was able to secure promotion. Their promotion to Ligue 2 in the 2014-15 season marked a change in their team's success. The club had been playing in Ligue 2 since that season, and managed to secure a second place finish in the 2019-20 season, earning them promotion to the top tier.

Their promotion story takes us back to the Covid-19 era, the same era which was very unpredictable for people across the globe. As it affected most of the industries, sports was one of them. In the same period, there were no fans in the stadiums, fans had to stay at their respective homes to watch their favourite team play.

RC Lens were one of the clubs that was somehow affected in a way that saw them move to Ligue 1 from Ligue 2. The promotion road was not easy, as the pandemic forced the season to be suspended for several months. When the season resumed after the Covid-19 break, the club was in second position just one point behind the leaders, Lorient. However, as per the French football authorities, the final standings of the league were determined based on the points-per-game system, which saw them clinching the second promotion spot.

The promotion was a relief for Lens, who had been out of Ligue 1 for the past five years. One of the key reasons for their success was the contribution of their manager Philippe Montainer, the manager had experience of managing top clubs in France, including Rennes and Valenciennes, and was able to bring the tactical expertise and knowledge of the league to the team. Another important factor was their attacking powers, forward Florian Sotoca and midfielder Gaetan Robail contributed in most of the goals that were scored. With the help of team's defensive performance, they only conceded 22 goals that season.

After missing out top tier action, the 2020-21 (first year after promotion) season made them sign some shrewd signings in the transfer window, which strengthened their squad. Under the guidance of coach Franck Haise, Lens continued to play attacking style of football. They scored 55 goals in 38 league matches, the second highest behind the champions Lille. That same season, Lens finished in seventh position, just one point behind Europa Conference League qualification.

The 2021-22 season was even more impressive. The likes of midfielder Seko Fofana and striker Wesley Said were added to their squad. Even though they finished outside the top four, they were the only team outside the top four to score 61 goals in 38 matches. They were also one of the most entertaining teams to watch, with many of their matches featuring high-scoring affairs.

Since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, they have been the only threats to the leaders PSG. With 6 points behind the toppers, with 4 games still to play and football being an unpredictable game we might see a major upset this season. They have defeated Marseille, AS Monaco and Rennes, both home and away; out of which two of them are in Top four and were also able to defeat PSG 3-1 this season.

After officially securing European football for next season, there is a possibility they could play in the UEFA Champions League next season for the first time in two decades.