A simple ride in the elevator?
At the end of an eventful season in all areas, Lorient was unable to avoid relegation to Ligue 2 which was hanging over its head. An overhaul of the sporting organization chart was made, starting with the departure of Régis Le Bris, who left for Sunderland. President Loïc Féry is still there, and in the columns of The Teamhe clearly displayed his ambitions for the coming season: “In relation to the workforce and the budget, the objective is to return to Ligue 1 as soon as possible. Not within two years. Laurent Abergel wants to return to Ligue 1 immediately, Olivier Pantaloni (Le Bris’ successorEditor’s note) wants to return to Ligue 1 immediately, Loïc Féry wants to return to Ligue 1 immediately. […] In two years, the club will be centenary and we want to celebrate it in Ligue 1. This is why we are keeping a Ligue 1 club infrastructure and jobs will be protected. »
Having remained silent since the relegation, the manager attempted to begin to explain this failure in Lorient. “We had the eighth budget in Ligue 1 and we spent 60 million euros on player acquisitions over the last three transfer windows. As president and owner, I bear primary responsibility. In fifteen years at FC Lorient, I have never chosen the players. I validate choices and take responsibility for them. This would be known if it were enough to put money into a football club for it to work. » Arnaud Tanguy, who returned this summer, had left the club last season, something that Féry regrets today: “I think it wasn’t beneficial in the running of the club. I take responsibility for it. What I wouldn’t do again is eliminate the position of general manager, put the responsibility for recruitment, in addition to the responsibility for the first team, on the coach. I think the club didn’t listen enough to the group, because there was no longer a control valve. The positions of sporting director and general manager have disappeared in the last two years.”
That’s good, Laurent Koscielny is back in the hake house to take everything back in hand.
Lorient formalizes the replacement of Régis Le Bris
