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To defend their title, the FC Arawak players had only one option: to win. Before kickoff of the final match of the 2026 season on Saturday, May 16, at 8:30 p.m., they trailed by three points behind the Diables Rouges, the team that had defeated them in the Saint-Barth Cup final last February. Three points behind, but with the same goal difference (+11)—that is, the ratio of goals scored to goals conceded throughout the season. Consequently, to retain the championship title they won in 2025, the Arawaks had to win. No matter the final score. The result? A decisive 3-1 victory! Not without a scare, however.
Because when the match began, each team intended to impose its own rhythm and intensity on the opponent. But in this back-and-forth, it was the Red Devils who took the lead. As proof, after just a few minutes, they found the net on a corner kick and opened the scoring through Enzo Dobrowolski. There was plenty of time left, and the Arawaks didn’t panic. Long balls to the wingers, passes into open spaces to break through the “Rougets” defense—they tried everything, methodically. They managed to withstand the opponents’ counterattacks. Until they found the opening on a ball fumbled in front of their goal by the Red Devils and pushed into the net by Chesco Medina Martinez. One-all, back to square one, but now the Arawaks feel the match is theirs and double their lead before halftime through Melvin Lassus Lédée (2-1). Yet the “Rougets” had the perfect chance to come back.
“When we were leading 2-1, our goalkeeper (Hugo Leroux) saved a penalty,” says Romain Gardette, the Arawaks’ right back. “It was a physical match, like a final. We had to be tough.” The Arawaks were just that, going on to score a third goal—again by Melvin Lassus Lédée. “We wanted to get our revenge after the Cup,” Romain Gardette adds. Mission accomplished.
For the Diables Rouges, despite this bitter final defeat that cost them the title, the season remains a success with a cup in hand and a strong run in the league. Admittedly, the championship title slipped away from them by a single goal difference, and that will undoubtedly be a tough pill to swallow. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop both teams from celebrating the end of the season in style. For some, the party went on until the wee hours of the morning.
The FC Arawak players would like to thank their president Eric Darbeaud, Olivier Landron, Jérome Capdeville, and the Le Barthélemy hotel, which sponsored the team’s uniforms.
Final Standings
1 – FC Arawak: 15 points (23 goals scored, 10 conceded, +13)
2 – FC Diables Rouges: 15 points (17 goals scored, 8 conceded, +9)
3 – ASPSB: 3 points
4 – AS Gustavia: 0 points
Top scorers: Enzo Dobrowolski (FC Diables Rouges) and Melvin Lassus Lédée (FC Arawak): 10 goals.
