Strasbourg seek party mood despite season of near misses before Monaco finale | OneFootball

Strasbourg are seeking a celebratory send-off on Ligue 1’s final day as they host Monaco on Sunday at 21:00, despite a season of near misses.

According to L'Équipe, Gary O'Neil hopes fans will applaud the players, with families present, though he acknowledged the side had fallen just short on several fronts.

Strasbourg reached the semi-finals of both the Coupe de France and the Conference League, yet they will finish eighth, one place lower than last season, so there will be no European football in Alsace in 2026-2027.

Whether La Meinau can rouse itself remains unclear after tensions between the Ultras and Emmanuel Emegha during the lap of honour that followed the 0-1 defeat by Rayo Vallecano on 7 May.

A sense of an ending is expected around Le Krimmeri. O'Neil has hinted at changes for next season, having already held recruitment meetings and targeted two centre-forwards, with Joaquin Panichelli sidelined until the end of the year after an anterior cruciate ligament rupture.

Next week, while the players start their holidays, the staff will debrief and assess what must evolve to reach the top five, as O'Neil wants. The medical department, led by Fabio Martins, is likely to be among the topics after causing internal friction.

Source: L'Équipe