It wasn’t a ball of big announcements. For his first in front of the local media, the new president of Stade Rennais Arnaud Pouille (50 years old) first declared himself “ready to deliver the roadmap that has been set for me. It’s challenging.” The said sheet is “very clear”, he assumed.
“The project remains the same: to secure European places this season and in the years to come. But also the training and then, the very clear cement for the Pinault family, namely the emotions for Brittany”, supported Alban Gréget, non-executive president of the board of directors, who came to pass the pass to the new boss of the club. With “full and complete autonomy”, again according to Gréget, the former manager of Lens gave some ideas on his method: “the first thing is to work, together, all in the same direction, from there, the performance, lasting performance. » It thus seems that he brings rigor, a requirement perhaps less supported since the departure of Olivier Létang, in February 2020.
Stephen? “Constantly looking for solutions”
On the subject of the coach, Julien Stephan, under contract until 2026, but weakened by a slow start to the season (7 points in 7 days), the new president reinforced him, without getting too far ahead.
Explaining that he had seen the matches against Lens (1-1) and Paris (1-3), before his baptism of fire against Monaco (1-2), the manager saw “on the data, (that) the group made a huge effort and was not rewarded. You have to plan ahead. I spent a lot, a lot of time with Julien. He needed to share a lot of things… Julien is someone who is not satisfied with current results, constantly looking for solutions. We must share, work together and all in the same direction, organize the conditions for better performance.”
Pouille also recalled that he did not hesitate, a few seasons ago, to part ways with a coach, Philippe Montanier then, when he had not felt that the dynamic of the rise of Lens in the Ligue 2 in Ligue 1 was good… To be continued if the results do not improve for Stephan. And it all starts in Brest, in nine days.
