Le Mans Return to Ligue 1 as LFP Confirms 2-0 Win Over Bastia

Le Mans back in Ligue 1 

The LFP confirmed Le Mans’ victory after their game at Bastia was stopped in injury time due to fan unrest, securing automatic promotion for the club.

Le Mans clinched promotion to Ligue 1 on Wednesday, with Brazilian fund OutField owning the club and Novak Djokovic and Thibaut Courtois among investors...

Le Mans secured promotion back to Ligue 1 on Wednesday after the LFP awarded them a 2-0 victory for their unfinished final league match at Bastia.

The club last featured in France’s top division in 2009/10 and fell as far as the sixth tier in 2013 following financial troubles.

They were 2-0 up in Corsica deep into stoppage time when the referee stopped play after Bastia supporters began throwing flares onto the pitch.

As a result, Bastia were relegated to the third-tier National.

The LFP confirmed on Wednesday that Le Mans’ win was final, securing them second place and automatic promotion. They finished two points ahead of Saint-Etienne and seven behind champions Troyes.

Saint-Etienne will take on Rodez in the promotion play-off semi-finals on Friday.

Seize ans plus tard, @LEMANSFC retrouve officiellement l’élite du football français 🎉 pic.twitter.com/vRUR8JTWJQ

— Ligue 1 McDonald's (@Ligue1) May 13, 2026

The winner of that tie will meet the 16th-placed Ligue 1 side, currently Nice, in the final later this month.

Le Mans are owned by Brazilian investment fund OutField. Minority shareholders include Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, tennis star Novak Djokovic, and former Formula One driver Felipe Massa.