Reims, Troyes promoted to French top flight

Reims and Troyes were both promoted to France's Ligue 1 championship from the second-tier Ligue 2 on Friday. Second-place Reims defeated Amiens 2-0 and third-place Troyes won by the same scoreline at Monaco, with fourth-place Clermont's 3-1 loss at Guingamp guaranteeing that neither side can be overhauled. They will join Ligue 2 champions Bastia in next season's French top flight. Reims are one of French football's sleeping giants, having won six Ligue 1 titles and been beaten by Real Madrid in the first ever European Cup final in Paris in 1956. They also lost to Madrid in the 1959 final of the competition. Reims have not appeared in Ligue 1 for 33 years, while Troyes last rubbed shoulders with the French elite in the 2006-07 season.