Inside football’s greatest cup competition where upsets are encouraged with minnows set to take on £3.5bn giants

EVERY twelvemonth debates rage implicit whether the FA Cup tin ever regain its “magic”.

But implicit successful France, their home contention is going from strength-to-strength.

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Stade Briochin produced a sensational upset successful the past round[/caption]

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The lower-league broadside are acceptable to instrumentality connected PSG[/caption]

Upon archetypal inspection, you mightiness wonderment what the large woody is: aft all, Paris Saint-Germain person won it 15 times, Marseille connected 10 occasions.

But look a small closer, and you’ll spot a contention that consistently delivers drama, upsets and “magic”, each azygous season.

This season’s quarter-finals diagnostic conscionable 4 teams from Ligue 1, with immoderate of the top-flight’s biggest clubs having been humbled on the way.

And with fourth-tier Cannes hosting Ligue 2 Guingamp, astatine slightest 1 squad from extracurricular the apical formation is guaranteed to scope the semi-finals.

Lyon were astonishingly beaten connected penalties by fifth-tier Bourgoin-Jallieu, who hail from a municipality of conscionable 28,000 radical hardly 20 miles away.

And the minnows precise astir backed up their unthinkable win, lone falling to top-flight Reims connected penalties successful the past round.

Lille, who person defeated Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Juventus connected the mode to the Champions League circular of 16, were besides defeated via spot kicks by second-tier Dunkerque – contempt stars specified arsenic Jonathan David being successful action.

Montpellier, Ligue 1 champions successful 2012, finished their Coupe de France run successful disgrace this season.

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Already bottommost of the table, they received nary respite successful the Coupe arsenic they were astonishingly trounced 4-0 by fourth-tier Le Puy Foot 43 Auvergne.

During the match, experienced skipper Teji Savanier was asked “Last successful Ligue 1 – does that hurt?” – to which helium brashly replied: “When you’re being paid €210,000 (£175k) a month, no.”

Sir Jim Ratcliffe‘s Nice, meanwhile, were beaten 2-1 by fourth-tier Stade Briochin courtesy of Hugo Boudin’s precocious double.

Their reward? The accidental to look Ligue 1 champions PSG successful the quarter-finals.

Such has been the involvement successful the fixture, acceptable to instrumentality spot tomorrow, that the lucifer has been moved from Stade Briochin’s charming Stade Fred-Aubert location to Rennes’ Roazhon Park.

Luis Enrique‘s star-studded broadside volition of people beryllium immense favourites, but their lowly opponents volition relish the accidental to trial themselves against 1 of Europe’s astir in-form teams.

Part of what sets the Coupe de France isolated is its format.

Ditching two-legged ties successful 1999, the contention present automatically makes the underdog successful each crippled the location side, provided that they are 2 divisions oregon much beneath their opponents.

Third-tier US Quevilly subsequently reached the last successful 2012, portion Les Herbiers from the aforesaid level finished arsenic runners-up successful 2018.

In 2020, the Coupe de France besides scrapped other time, meaning underdogs conscionable person to past 90 minutes earlier reaching the lottery of penalties.

With the Coupe de la Ligue having besides been axed that year, the contention besides has maximum prestige arsenic France’s lone home tournament.

Another amusive wrinkle of the contention is that it allows clubs from semi-autonomous French regions astir the satellite to participate.

Earlier this season, AS Venus made the 30-hour trip from Tahiti to look fourth-tier ASM Belfort successful circular seven.

While past season, Golden Lion made the 8,000 mile circular travel from Martinique to look the stars of Lille, though the ruthless Ligue 1 broadside played their full-strength broadside and won 12-0.

It whitethorn good beryllium that PSG spell connected to bushed Stade Briochin earlier marching to a 16th Coupe de France triumph.

But that wouldn’t alteration the information that this season’s contention has been afloat of shocks, upsets and unthinkable stories.

And possibly it inactive has different fairytale oregon 2 near to tell.

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The stars of PSG volition beryllium successful enactment against Stade-Briochin[/caption]

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Lille took connected Golden Lion past season[/caption]