Malgré six‑tier gap, AS Cuines La Chambre stun National 1 in Coupe de France

In a stunning Coupe de France fourth‑round tie, AS Cuines La Chambre, a club from the tenth tier of French football, defeated National 1 side AS Saint‑Priest 1‑0, despite a six‑division gap between the two teams. The victory, secured on the weekend of the 2026‑2027 cup campaign, underlines the competition’s reputation for giant‑killing.

Path to the upset

Cuines La Chambre entered the tournament in the second round, first overcoming Modane of the third division 3‑2. The club then dispatched Club Sportif des 4 Routes, a second‑division side, by a convincing 4‑1 margin. These wins set up the fourth‑round clash with Saint‑Priest, a National 1 club sitting six tiers above Cuines.

Coach’s reaction

Stephen Thomasset, the club’s coach, praised his players after the win. “It was very hard. Few people believed in us but the players did. We could create a surprise if the start was right. The players showed enormous desire and commitment. They had been thinking about this since the draw,” he told Savoie News.

Thomasset, who arrived at Cuines La Chambre two years ago, highlighted the continuity within the squad. “There is a group that has stayed true to what we did last year. This is the second time we have reached the fourth round, and a first for the fifth round,” he added.

The club’s achievement is particularly notable because Cuines La Chambre is a “pensionnaire de D2”, an equivalent of the tenth level of French football, yet it eliminated a National 1 side in its first appearance at this stage of the cup.

Having secured the win, Cuines La Chambre now looks ahead to the fifth round, where it could potentially face another amateur side, as Ligue 3 clubs enter the competition at that stage.

The match underscores the magic of the Coupe de France, where clubs from the lowest tiers can write memorable chapters alongside professional teams.