faced with the emergency situation, Saint-Etienne takes the gamble of the Norwegian Eirik Horneland

Norwegian Eirik Horneland was named coach of Saint-Etienne on Friday, replacing Olivier Dall’Oglio, dismissed from his position on December 14, announced the Saint-Etienne club, currently 16th in Ligue 1.

Aged 49, Horneland, whose first experience abroad, has led the SK Brann Bergen club since 2021, second in the Norwegian championship in 2023 and 2024 and winner of the cup in 2023.

He will lead his first training session at the end of the Christmas break, on December 29. It is Laurent Huard, the director of the Saint-Etienne training center, who will lead the Greens for the 32nd final of the Coupe de France against Olympique de Marseille, at home on Sunday.

Horneland therefore replaces Dall’Oglio, dismissed the day after the Greens’ defeat in Toulouse (2-1), the third in a row, the tenth this season (four wins, one draw). The Norwegian has signed a two and a half year contract, until June 30, 2027, with an additional option. Its mission will be “to use the experience gained and recognized at SK Brann to the benefit of the team to develop a culture of performance and a style of play specific to ASSE”indicates the club press release.

Accompanied by his assistant Hassan El Fakiri

Coach of SK Brann Bergen since 2021, Eirik Hornland contributed to the club’s rise to the first division, then he led it twice (2023, 2024) to second place in the Norwegian championship (Eliteserien), winning the Norwegian Cup. Norway in 2023. He was free after resigning in early December.

He was also coach of the Norwegian U19 national team from 2015, before managing Haugesund from 2016 to 2019, then Rosenborg until his resignation in 2020. The new Greens coach comes with his assistant, the former Norwegian defender of Moroccan origin from Monaco, Hassan El Fakiri, who has the advantage of being French-speaking.

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