Théo Leoni hits brace as Reims reach Coupe de France quarter-finals | OneFootball

Théo Leoni’s brace sent Reims into the Coupe de France quarter-finals with a 3-0 win over Le Mans on Tuesday night. According to L'Équipe, the Belgian midfielder, who arrived last summer, has quickly become a key figure at the club.

Used higher up the pitch than usual, he struck on 38 minutes from a Sergio Akieme cross, controlling then blasting under the bar. He added a second on 71 minutes, timing his run on Hiroki Sekine’s pass and dinking past Ewan Hatfout.

Withdrawn on 84 minutes, his name was chanted around Auguste-Delaune and again after the final whistle during celebrations in front of the kop. He is fast becoming a fans’ favourite and an indispensable part of Karel Geraerts’s XI in a project aimed at taking Reims back to Ligue 1.

Signed on the final day of the summer window after spending his entire career at Anderlecht, Leoni has not missed a match since debuting for Reims on 13 September 2025 at Annecy, starting the last 16. Geraerts says he asserted himself quickly, is sociable and vocal, and often guides team-mates on the pitch. He joked that Leoni has scored less for Reims so far, but remembers him hitting plenty at Anderlecht.

At 25, he appears to be reaching full maturity and says he feels increasingly comfortable in this Reims side. He stresses that scoring is not his norm, describing himself as more defensive, but a higher brief worked well and these were his first two goals for the club. He also pointed to the team’s rhythm and run of matches helping him, as with the whole side.

Source: L'Équipe