Rennes vs Olympiacos, a matchday four fixture in the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League league phase, has been moved from Thursday 5 November to Wednesday 4 November. UEFA made the decision after French authorities said they could not guarantee the necessary safety and security conditions on the original date because of strikes and demonstrations planned for that day. Kick-off is now scheduled for 16:30 in France (CET), equivalent to 12:30 in Brasília (UTC-3), at Roazhon Park in Rennes.
What was the original date and what is the new kick-off time?
Rennes remain the home team against Greece's Olympiacos. The date and kick-off time have changed, but not the fixture or venue. Rennes' statement of 27 October says the match was originally set for 5 November at 18:45 and that UEFA rescheduled it for 4 November at 16:30.
| Schedule | Date | France (CET, UTC+1) | Greece (EET, UTC+2) | Brasília (UTC-3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original | Thursday 5 Nov 2026 | 18:45 | 19:45 | 14:45 |
| Revised | Wednesday 4 Nov 2026 | 16:30 | 17:30 | 12:30 |
In November, France observes Central European Time (CET, UTC+1), while Greece observes Eastern European Time (EET, UTC+2). Olympiacos also confirmed the new 17:30 kick-off in Greek local time. The Brasília conversion uses UTC-3. As well as moving to the previous calendar day, kick-off is 2 hours and 15 minutes earlier on the local clock.
Why did the French authorities request a change?
In a statement dated 27 October, UEFA said the French authorities had informed it that they were unable to provide the safety and security conditions required to stage the match on 5 November. The stated reason was planned strikes and demonstrations in France that Thursday. UEFA then consulted the authorities and both clubs before fixing the revised date.
Stade Rennais provided an additional detail: according to its announcement, the Ille-et-Vilaine prefecture prohibited the match from being held on the original date for security reasons. Aurélien Macedo's reporting for Foot Mercato also linked the decision to security planning around the announced social mobilisation. This was a preventive decision about the conditions for staging the event, not a sporting sanction against either team. The announcements do not establish which demonstrations will actually take place or what their outcomes might be.
What does the change mean for supporters?
The fixture remains scheduled for Roazhon Park in Rennes on Wednesday 4 November at 16:30 local time. The club's official fixture list identifies it as a Europa League league-phase matchday four game and lists the date and time as final. Anyone who planned travel or attendance using the previous schedule should take account of the revised timing and check Rennes' official ticketing channels for the conditions applying to their ticket.
The club said it would introduce a ticketing policy aimed at younger supporters and amateur clubs, but the rescheduling announcement did not specify prices or, by itself, set out exchange or refund arrangements. As of the 29 October 2026 verification, the confirmed development is the change of date and kick-off for security reasons; there is no basis to speculate about how the planned demonstrations will unfold.
Sources and references
- UEFA, official rescheduling announcement, 27 October 2026
- Stade Rennais, official announcement of original time, reason and venue, 27 October 2026
- Olympiacos, confirmation of new date and Greek local time, 27 October 2026
- Stade Rennais, official match calendar
- Foot Mercato, report by Aurélien Macedo about the change, 27 October 2026
