2 weeks Ago
Kylian Mbappe's Ligue 2 club suffer relegation to France's third tier for the first time in over 40 years...
as fans SLAM owners and players Caen will play in France third tier next season for the first since 1984 Fans displayed their frustration with several banners after defeat on Friday LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off! Should Marcus Rashford leave Man United to spearhead Aston Villa's attack? By ABDI RASHID Published: 12:31 BST, 20 April 2025 | Updated: 12:35 BST, 20 April 2025 e-mail View comments Caen, owned by Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe , have suffered relegation to France's third tier. The club has endured a difficult season having picked up just five wins from 31 league matches so far and are rooted to the bottom of Ligue 2. And they suffered a 3-0 home defeat in the hands of Martigues on Friday to confirm their demotion to the Championnat National, which includes both professional and semi-pro clubs.
Next season will be Caen's first time outside of France's top two divisions since 1984. Fans made their frustration known towards the owners, players and manager with several banners after the game ended. One banner read: 'Management, players: all guilty, all out.
' Caen, owned by Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe, have suffered relegation to France's third tier. Caen have picked up just five wins from 31 league matches so far and are rooted to the bottom Fans made their frustrations known towards owners and players with several banners Another said: 'Malherbe is us, the s*** is you,' in reference to the club's full name, Stade Malherbe Caen. In January, fans invaded the pitch to confront players and staff directly after suffering another defeat.
Mbappe bought a majority stake in Caen last summer for £12.6m via Interconected Ventures, founded by the Real Madrid star, through its investment arm, Coalition Capital. The Frenchman made a surprise visit to the club a month later, claiming he understands their frustration.
The 26-year-old said at the time: 'It's important for me to be here. I want to show my support, to be in contact with everyone and for them to know that they count on me, and especially in the situation we're in,' Mbappe said. 'If I'm here it's because I believe in the project.
I wanted to have come earlier but it was impossible. I told them that I was with them and that they had to believe. And I saw a group that is not resigned and wants to change the results.
'I think that with the quality of the team and the support of the fans, things can change and I hope that this is a turning point. In football, we have seen that nothing is impossible. 'There is a lack of confidence, but I think that a good result can change the team's spiral.
I understand the frustration of the people, as I have told them personally, because I have not been through this before. Caen's fans have been protesting against Mbappe's ownership throughout the season 'It is normal to be angry, but the people support, fill the stadium and our mission is to give our best.' Caen are a proud club near France's northern coast with the highest attendance figures in the French second tier, with an average of 15,000 supporters turning up to the Stade Michel-d'Ornano.
Players such as N'Golo Kante, William Gallas, and Thomas Lemar have donned the shirt down the years. Caen scout David Lasry revealed in a BBC documentary that the club had come close to signing Mbappe when the forward was just 13. Mbappe's father had reportedly confirmed they had agreed for their son to join the club, who are based in Normandy.
The deal, however, collapsed when Caen were relegated from Ligue 1 to the second tier in 2012. Mbappe would instead join Monaco's academy, with the forward later breaking into the first-team set-up before joining PSG. Kylian mbappe Share or comment on this article: Kylian Mbappe's Ligue 2 club suffer relegation to France's third tier for the first time in over 40 years.
.. as fans SLAM owners and players e-mail Add comment Comments 0 Share what you think No comments have so far been submitted.
Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. Add your comment Enter your comment By posting your comment you agree to our house rules . Submit Comment Clear Close Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual.
No Yes Close Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook.
You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy ..
