SM Caen has played 32 seasons in the divisions covered here since 1993/94: 13 in Ligue 1 and 19 in Ligue 2. Its last season in the divisions covered was 2024/25, in Ligue 2. Its best finish was 7th in Ligue 1, in 2015/16. Its biggest climb took five seasons: from 7th in Ligue 2 in 2002/03 to 11th in Ligue 1 in 2007/08. It has been promoted 5 times and relegated 7 times.
SM Caen
last in the divisions covered in 2024/25
How high can SM Caen realistically go?
SM Caen was not in the divisions covered in 2025/26, so there is no current position to start from.
The story so far
Final position each seasonRinged dots are titles
How to read this chart
Every club in the divisions covered is placed on one ladder each season: the champions are 1st, and the top club of the second division comes straight after the bottom club of the first. Shaded bands are the divisions. Hover over or tap a dot for the season.
32seasons since 1993/94
13seasons in Ligue 1
0league titles
0top-four finishes
5promotions
7relegations
Against the money
About where its money would put it
Over 13 seasons, the average gap was -1.8 places, which is within what chance alone would produce. It finished above its money in 4 of 13 seasons with published figures.
€15mwage bill, 2022/23
27thhighest of 39 clubs with published accounts
5thfinish in Ligue 2, 2022/23
Where SM Caen finishedWhere its wage bill normally finishes
Season by season
| Season | Finish | Wage bill | Wage rank | Places above its money |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5th, Ligue 2 | €15m | 27th of 39 | +2.8 |
| 2021/22 | 7th, Ligue 2 | €9.3m | 28th of 39 | +2.2 |
| 2020/21 | 17th, Ligue 2 | €18m | 21st of 39 | -11.1 |
| 2019/20 | 13th, Ligue 2 | €15m | 22nd of 39 | -6.8 |
| 2018/19 | 19th, Ligue 1 | €28m | 14th of 39 | -3.9 |
| 2017/18 | 16th, Ligue 1 | €27m | 12th of 39 | -0.9 |
| 2016/17 | 17th, Ligue 1 | €24m | 14th of 38 | -1.4 |
| 2015/16 | 7th, Ligue 1 | €27m | 10th of 38 | +3.8 |
| 2014/15 | 13th, Ligue 1 | €20m | 16th of 38 | +3.8 |
| 2011/12 | 18th, Ligue 1 | €25m | 13th of 39 | -4.6 |
| 2010/11 | 15th, Ligue 1 | €20m | 16th of 37 | -0.6 |
| 2009/10 | 1st, Ligue 2 | €16m | 19th of 38 | -2.6 |
| 2008/09 | 18th, Ligue 1 | €22m | 16th of 38 | -3.7 |
How do we know?
For every season, we compare each club's wage bill with the average in the top two divisions, and work out the finish that wage bill usually brings, allowing for differences between seasons and assuming a bigger wage bill never lowers the expected finish. The gap between that and the actual finish, averaged over the seasons, is the figure above. An overall verdict needs at least eight seasons, and a signed number is given only when the gap is clearly larger than chance.
Wage bills are total payroll including social charges from the DNCG's published club accounts, checked against each report's own cost totals. Group (consolidated) accounts are left out.
On average, most of a big over-performance fades: clubs that finished at least four places above their money (on average 6.4 places) were +2.7 places the next season, so about 57% of it disappeared and the rest persisted. Some clubs beat their money season after season. It mixes good management, luck and resources the measure cannot see, so it is not a score for how well a club is run.
Clubs with a similar path
Clubs whose finishing positions over the last 15 seasons were closest to SM Caen's, with recent seasons counting more.
In France
AC AjaccioFrance · not in the divisions covered nowGuingampFrance · 11th in Ligue 2, 2025/26Girondins de BordeauxFrance · not in the divisions covered nowTroyesFrance · 1st in Ligue 2, 2025/26
Elsewhere in Europe
Stoke CityEngland · 17th in the Championship, 2025/26West Bromwich AlbionEngland · 21st in the Championship, 2025/26Hannover 96Germany · 4th in 2. Bundesliga, 2025/26
Compare SM Caen with another club
Sources
- Final tables to 2025/26. Positions are worked out from match results.
- Relegations include dropping out of the divisions covered.
- All figures can be downloaded on the data page. Spotted a mistake? Report it with a source.