For Stade Rennais, the return to Europe was supposed to be a fresh start. Instead, the opening night in Graz arrived with an uncomfortable extra layer: Franck Haise comes into the 2026-27 Europa League campaign carrying a 16-match winless run in the competition. That is a long time to go without a European victory, and it gives Wednesday's trip to Sturm Graz more weight than a normal group-stage opener.
The numbers behind that streak are not subtle. Across his European work with Lens and Nice, Haise has now gone 16 matches in the Europa League without a win, with 11 defeats and two draws in the most recent stretch of that record. At Lens in 2023-24, he reached the knockout play-off for the last 16, but the campaign also included draws and defeats against Freiburg. Earlier that same season, Lens did produce two eye-catching wins in the Champions League group stage, beating Arsenal 2-1 and Sevilla 2-1. The larger European picture, though, has become more troubling since then.
That is what makes Rennes' 21:00 kickoff at Graz-Liebenau feel significant. Rennes were back in Europe after two seasons out, and they brought 123 away supporters with them, but the scene also underscored the challenge in front of them: a new European chapter under a coach whose recent continental record has been stubbornly poor. Haise has spoken openly about that tension, insisting that every context is different, that he focuses on daily work and team progress, and that he knows he will win with his players. He also acknowledged the simple truth that European fixtures are always difficult, and winning away requires even more.
Why the streak matters
This is not just about a stat line. A 16-match winless run in the Europa League changes the way an opening game is read, because it turns every setback into a broader question about the coach's European ceiling. Haise has been successful enough domestically to keep getting these opportunities, but the European results have not travelled with him in the same way. Across the following two seasons at Nice, he oversaw 14 Europa League games, drawing three and losing 11. That kind of record does not erase the good work elsewhere, but it does explain why the conversation around Rennes now includes more than just the quality of the squad.
Still, the context also matters. Rennes are not stepping into this campaign as a team that has been living in Europe every year; they are returning after two seasons away. That can cut both ways. There is freshness, but there is also less recent rhythm at this level. If Rennes are to make the opening night count, they will need more than control and territory. They will need the sharper details that decide away games: concentration, defensive compactness, and the ability to turn chances into something real.
Haise's record does not guarantee another disappointment, but it does sharpen the stakes. Rennes did not come back to Europe simply to take part in a difficult away fixture. They came back to make the most of it, and the first test of that ambition came in Graz with the coach's winless European run hanging over the night.
