26/27 Preview #16: RC Strasbourg Alsace
Last season
Strasbourg’s progress continued in 2025/26, even if their eighth-place finish in Ligue 1 McDonald’s ultimately left them just outside the European places. Their domestic campaign was accompanied by a memorable run in the UEFA Conference League, where Racing reached the semi-finals.
Once again, youth was at the heart of their success. Strasbourg named the youngest starting XIs on average across Europe’s top five leagues last season, but the squad still showed itself capable of competing on several fronts.
There was also considerable change on the bench. Liam Rosenior departed for Chelsea during the campaign before Gary O’Neil took charge, but the Englishman has also moved on this summer. Racing therefore begin a third successive season with questions surrounding how quickly a new coach can impose his ideas.
Another rebuild at La Meinau
Hugo Oliveira is the latest man tasked with continuing Strasbourg’s upward trajectory. The Portuguese coach arrives after guiding Famalicão to fifth place in Portugal and has signed a three-year contract with Racing.
Once again, however, he inherits a squad undergoing significant change. Emmanuel Emegha and Mike Penders have both joined Chelsea, while Diego Moreira completed a move to AC Milan on the eve of the new Ligue 1 McDonald’s campaign after developing into one of Racing’s most influential players.
Strasbourg have responded in their usual fashion by investing in another collection of high-upside talent. Portuguese midfielder Diogo Sousa arrives following an impressive breakthrough season with Vitória Guimarães, while perhaps the most eye-catching addition is Giovanni Reyna. Still only 23, the United States international arrives with significant Bundesliga and international experience and will hope that Alsace can provide the environment in which to relaunch his club career.
Oliveira will nevertheless need patience. Joaquín Panichelli remains sidelined following the serious knee injury which ended his excellent 2025/26 season, while several players returned late from the World Cup. Heavy pre-season defeats against Sporting CP and Blackburn Rovers offered an early reminder that this is once again a squad being pieced together.
Player to watch: Giovanni Reyna
Few players arriving in Ligue 1 McDonald’s this summer possess quite the same mixture of experience and untapped potential as Reyna. The attacking midfielder was playing Champions League football for Borussia Dortmund while still a teenager and already has more than 40 caps for the United States.
Injuries have interrupted his development, but Strasbourg have made a habit of giving talented young players the platform to rediscover momentum. With Moreira and Emegha gone and Panichelli unavailable, there should be plenty of responsibility available to Reyna from the outset.
The verdict
Predicting Strasbourg has rarely been straightforward during the BlueCo era, and this season may prove particularly difficult. There is still an extraordinary amount of talent at La Meinau, but another managerial change and the departure of several important players make repeating their recent challenge for Europe far from guaranteed.
The ceiling remains high, particularly if Oliveira can quickly bring together another youthful squad. For now, though, a season of consolidation may be a more realistic expectation before Racing’s latest generation begins to show exactly how good it can become.
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