Official | Bill Foley-owned FC Lorient promoted back to Ligue 1 at first attempt | OneFootball

A year after being relegated to France’s second division by the tightest of margins, FC Lorient have bounced back at the first time of asking and have tonight sealed promotion back to Ligue 1. Les Merlus will celebrate their 100-year anniversary as a club among the elite after a 4-0 win over third-tier bound Caen. The Breton side’s promotion was confirmed following FC Metz’s loss to Pau (2-1) which was played at the same kick-off time. Coach Olivier Pantaloni left his long-term job at Ajaccio in a bid to get Les Merlus back to Ligue 1 this season, and has trimmed the squad down to an eclectic mix of youthful talent and older heads.Les Merlus have won 21 of their 32 Ligue 2 games this season to secure promotion back to Ligue 1 in just one season. Young prospect and Bournemouth-bound Eli Junior Kroupi (18) has been a key part of this success, scoring 20 goals in 28 matches to lead the current goal-scoring rankings in the French second division. Current AFC Bournemouth owner Bill Foley purchased FC Lorient back in January 2023 with a 33% stake and faced an initial revolt from supporters over the model of multi-club ownership. Despite this, the Breton side managed to recover from a disastrous Ligue 1 campaign in the 2023-2024 season and have lead the second division for much of the season. Behind Lorient sit Paris FC on 65 points, who’ll be looking next to seal promotion during their trip to FC Martigues next weekend. GFFN | George Boxall