Troyes were ultimately unable to survive in Ligue 1, having won promotion via the playoffs a year ago. It is a familiar feeling, though, for ESTAC, who have only played in the same division in consecutive seasons once since the 2011-12 campaign.
Nevertheless, there were significant hopes that they might have been able to learn from the lessons of 2015-16, when they finished bottom, and survive this time around. They were certainly a better team, one that was far more competitive, but in the end they fell four points short of even reaching the playoff.
The season started quite optimistically for Troyes, too. A home draw against Rennes was followed by a stunning away win over Nice, but Adama Niane’s double in that match was something of a false dawn as the striker, who was so prolific last term, struggled to adapt fully to Ligue 1, even if he ended as their top scorer having netted eight times.
At the first international break, they were up to ninth, and even into November they were still well placed for survival after home wins over Strasbourg and Angers, who were rivals in the battle against the drop.
Troyes, however, suffered badly after Tristan Dingome was injured in that clash against Angers, with the midfielder something a lynchpin in their side that they were unable to replace. Moreover, a spell on the sidelines for Stephane Darbion saw them suffer more offensively in the second half of the season.
Although Troyes were able to record home wins against Lille and Metz, both were by 1-0 margins, and they would only win one more game all season as their offensive line stalled badly.
They scored only 12 times in the second half of the season – no team scored fewer – and while their defensive record was reasonable, it was not good enough to carry such a handicap.
Going into the final match of the season, they still had a shot at survival but it meant beating Monaco, which proved too much for them.
Once again, Troyes will have to rebuild.
