Lens Ends French Cup Wait: "It's Historic and Unique"

While Nice dominated possession in the first half, Lens proved more clinical in front of goal. Florian Thauvin opened the scoring in the 25th minute, followed by Odsonne Edouard approximately 17 minutes later. Djibril Coulibaly managed to pull one back for Nice before halftime, but Abdallah Sima sealed the victory for Racing Lens.

"This is historic and unique. We had a truly remarkable season, and we were determined to cap it off with a historic moment for the club. That meant winning the cup, which we achieved. We desperately wanted to bring the French Cup to Lens. These matches are never easy, and Nice showed that," winger Thauvin stated in a television interview with France 2. He was named Man of the Match after the successful final.

His team had already secured a spot in the Champions League group stage before kickoff, but their French Cup triumph also benefited their league rivals. Rennes moved into the Europa League, and Monaco will now feature in the Conference League. Coach Pierre Sage's first season at the helm of Lens was certainly memorable:

"I'm delighted not only for our fans but also for the players. Thanks to our team, we have the privilege of bringing joy to people, and that's what pleases me most. Winning the French Cup is a fitting end to a great season. The good thing is that we can now be ambitious. It's a beautiful gift for the club's 120th anniversary. The fans and our entire region have received a gift."

Nice failed to add a fourth Coupe de France trophy to their collection. After the final disappointment, they must now refocus on their battle to remain in Ligue 1. Their challenger in the relegation playoff will be Saint-Etienne, the third-placed team from the second division.

"We had a very good start; we played much better than Lens. At 2-1, we had chances, and anything could have happened. However, we lacked better efficiency in converting those chances. It's frustrating after such a performance. I believe we deserved it just as much as Lens. Now we need to maintain this mindset and forget the final loss. We face an ambitious team in the playoff," said Nice coach Claude Puel.

Lens expanded the list of French Cup champions; this competition has seen five different winners in the last eight years.