Lens: "We're not at Champions League level"; Leca's stark assessment after Como humiliation

Lens director Leca admits the club lacks Champions League quality after a 9-1 humiliation to Como, but backs manager Cahuzac to stay.

RC Lens suffered a historic 9-1 defeat to Como in the Champions League, a result that will remain etched in French football history. The day after the catastrophe, sporting director Jean-Louis Leca spoke to L'Équipe and offered a stark assessment of the club's situation.

Leca acknowledged that Lens simply does not have the quality required for European competition at this level. "We're not going to lie to ourselves, we're not at Champions League level," he said. "That doesn't mean a 9-1 is normal—it's not. The Champions League tends to create tension. It's almost as if it breaks our momentum in the league." He pointed to previous heavy defeats against Sporting (2-0) and Bruges (3-0) that followed strong Ligue 1 performances.

Manager Yannick Cahuzac, appointed after Dino Toppmöller's departure, admitted feeling humiliated but will keep his job. Leca firmly rejected any suggestion of a managerial change: "Nobody is thinking of leaving—neither him nor us. If he had offered his resignation, we would have refused it." Lens now face Marseille in Ligue 1 on Sunday.