Not counting the recent transfers of Seko Fofana and Brice Samba, Rennes is paying for a largely failed summer transfer window despite 80 million euros invested and no success among the recruits, two of whom have just been placed in the loft.
Rennes supporters over the age of 25 have not forgotten the summer of 2000. That year, the Pinault family, owners of the club for two years, made a lasting impression by investing tens of millions of euros in the Brazilians. Severino Lucas, Luis Fabiano or the Argentinian Mario Hector Turdo. Investments which ended in bitter failures on an individual level. Twenty-five years later, the situation has changed: the club has grown, qualified six years in a row for the European Cup (from 2018 to 2024) and has the third longest longevity in the elite (in L1 for 31 years, behind PSG, 51 and Lyon, 36). But Breton fans have the impression of diving back into a bad dream when they take a look at the recruitment and the catastrophic results of the team, 14th in L1 and pitifully eliminated from the Coupe de France in Troyes (1-0) , Wednesday.
Massara “is aware of his participation in certain decisions which have not been the happiest since last June”, says Pouille
Faced with a huge wave of departures last summer (16, compared to 135 million euros collected), the Breton club invested massively in numbers (11 recruits) and in compensation (80 million euros). Six months later, the vast majority have failed to convince, or quite simply to find a place in the team. Jordan James, shunned by Julien Stéphan, has shown rare (and timid) satisfaction since Jorge Sampaoli placed his trust in him. For the rest, Albert Gronbaek, despite some flashes, took a dive and today finds himself in the loft alongside another recruit, Glen Kamara.
>> Follow all the transfer window information LIVE
Defenders Mikayil Faye, Leo Ostigard or Hans Hateboer frankly did not help to solidify a defense already in difficulty last season, while attackers Carlos Gomez (often launched at the end of the match by Sampaoli), Jota or Henrik Meister (already left on loan to Pisa) are enigmas. If each transfer window has its casting error(s), that of Stade Rennais looks, for the moment, like a complete fiasco. And inevitably directs attention towards one man: Frederic Massara, appointed sports director last summer to replace Florian Maurice and at the helm of these disappointing recruitments. “I am very disappointed with the team, absolutely. There will be time to take stock, don’t worry,” said the former sporting director of AS Roma.
-In an interview with Ouest-France this Friday, Arnaud Pouille cleared his sporting director a little by dating the club's difficulties before his arrival. “This club has been in a downward cycle for a year, it is not the work of one person,” he says, referring to the 2024 winter transfer window where uncertainty hung over the future. of Florian Maurice (now in Nice) a few months after the still unexplained departure of coach Bruno Genesio.
“Frederic doesn’t shy away from his responsibilities either,” promises Pouille. “No one defends the indefensible. I've already said it and I'll say it again: he was caught by a statistically exceptional wave of departures last summer, but that's not why he doesn't take responsibility its share of responsibilities on a certain number of subjects.” To the point of considering leaving? “Without being angelic, Frederic is a good person, a human being touched in his pride, who is aware of his participation in certain decisions which have not been the happiest since last June. He is not in denial. “
Appointed last October – therefore after the summer transfer window led by Massara – Pouille noted failures in the targeted profiles, particularly in the state of mind. To the 80 million euros spent last summer, Rennes spent 20 more on Seko Fofana and 15 on Brice Samba in January to strengthen this sinking squad. And the Breton club promises not to stop there before the closure of the transfer window which should also move in the direction of departures. But behind the scenes, it wouldn't be so simple. According to L'Equipe, Frederic Massara and Jorge Sampaoli are not really on the same wavelength regarding the targeted profiles. Enough to make the end of the transfer window a little more tender, where the right to make mistakes no longer exists.
Nicolas Couet Journalist RMC Sport
