Stade Rennes dumbfounded after the resignation of its trainer, Julien Stéphan

This Monday 1er March, at 1:15 p.m., Nicolas Holveck, president of Stade Rennes, and Florian Maurice, sports director, cross the press room of Roazhon Park, the stadium of the football club, with a determined step, but mine defeated. Their mission is to formalize the resignation of the pillar of their management trio: coach Julien Stéphan.

The news had already filtered in the early morning, astonishing the Breton capital as the tactician enjoys a high popularity rating there. In just over two years at the head of the club, he has won over fans by offering them their most beautiful emotions for half a century: an 8e Europa League final in 2019, a victory in the Coupe de France the same year – the first Rennes trophy since 1971 -, a third place in Ligue 1 in 2020, then participation in the Champions League this winter.

“I did not expect his resignation, recognized Nicolas Holveck. Julien did not take this decision lightly, however. He has great strength of character. Even if I do not agree with his analysis, Julien believes he is no longer the man for the job. “

The managers, as well as the club’s shareholder, François Pinault, spent their weekend trying to convince the technician to keep control of Stade Rennes. Twelve days before the end of the championship, the club is still eyeing fifth place in the Ligue 1 championship, qualifying for the Europa League. Nothing to do, the coach told them no “No longer have the strength” to stop the negative spiral in which his team is stuck.

Only one victory in ten matches

The former educator of the training center felt he was no longer able to find the keys that had notably made his success during the last six months of the 2018-2019 season, during which he had donned the habit of head coach, first as a temporary worker, before being fully confirmed in this post.

Lacking offensive efficiency, feverish in defense, the team has only one victory in the last ten meetings it has played (5 defeats, 4 draws). She was pitifully eliminated, in the fall of 2020, from the Champions League (a victory in six games, last in her group), a competition for which she had qualified – a first in its history – following the stoppage premature of the French championship. Already in the fall of 2019, the club had not made the weight on the European scene, released from the group stage of the Europa League (last of its group).

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He who has revealed himself as a tactician with chiseled strategies and transcendent locker room talks prefers to withdraw rather than “To endanger the institution”, according to club officials. After 110 meetings on the Rennes bench (49 wins, 24 draws and 37 defeats), Julien Stéphan had never “Showed the slightest flaw in front of a cloakroom that is watching you”, had “Endured criticism” and always “Internalized” the pressure, according to Nicolas Holveck.

“Each of my choices has consequences. I’m not sure I’m always making the right decisions. I assume. I am here to decide, explained Julien Stéphan to World the day before the Coupe de France 2019 final. And then I too am learning. The management of emotions in particular. Only high level experience will allow me to better master this aspect of the work. “ The continuation of this learning will now take place elsewhere.

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This Monday morning, the technician wanted to announce his resignation to his assistants. These collaborators heard “Strong words” and promised to “Value the work done”, as explained Philippe Bizeul, propelled head coach, the time of the interim. Then Julien Stéphan appeared in front of his players to explain himself. Some like the international Eduardo Camavinga were quick to thank him on social networks. The coach then greeted each employee.

Some viewed his decision as a “Abandonment” when many greeted her ” loyalty “ and his “Sense of responsibility”. “He no longer had the fuel to restart the machine. He preferred to give the team a chance by entrusting it to someone else rather than being stubborn. In football, many would have waited for a dismissal in order to cash a departure check “, greets someone close to Julien Stéphan.

Supporters fear the end of an “enchanted parenthesis”

It prevents. This resignation had the effect of a slap in the face to the club, as the coach embodied the Stade Rennes who had managed to win, finally. Supporters fear that with his departure the “Enchanted parenthesis” ajar in recent seasons is closing.

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Florian Maurice does not want to give way to nostalgia or fatalism: “We had built an ambitious project with Julien. We owe it to ourselves to keep moving forward without him. I don’t want to stop there. “ The sporting director says he received seventy applications for the post of coach in one morning. The management does not intend to rush and seeks a profile capable of blending into “The Rennes project”.

The ideal profile? Someone capable of developing a young workforce, offering an attractive game plan and valuing the work of the training center, known to produce a number of emerging talents.

It is impossible to find a successor by the next match, as Stade Rennes faces Lyon on Wednesday evening. This situation could serve as an electric shock to Breton players. This would be Julien Stéphan’s last strategic move, according to some club executives.

Julien Stéphan had started under the same emergency conditions, in Lyon, in December 2018, replacing Sabri Lamouchi at short notice, laid off by the management of the club, for lack of satisfactory results. At the time, it had smiled at Stade Rennes.

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