Extended for a season last June by ASSE, Olivier Dall'Oglio knows he is weakened by a precarious contractual situation. Alternating between the good and the less good at the start of the season, the Saint-Etienne coach remains on target with 10 points in 10 days. Last week, Wilfried Nancy was announced as his designated replacement. The situation has evolved in recent days.
While the new leaders of ASSE could have chosen to sign up for the long term with Olivier Dall'Oglio, the man of the comeback in Ligue 1 was only extended for one season. Enough to minimize losses if the club had to thank its coach before June 2025. The current coach of the Greens knows he is in the hot seat, but does not intend to abandon the mission entrusted to him.
Permanent reprieve for ODO?
In a pre-match press conference, he confided this Thursday: “On Wilfried Nancy who came out in the press? I didn't go to check. If I were to check, there would be a lot of bullshit being said and written and repeated. It's part of the game. It's not the most flamboyant area of our football. I was given a challenge, I was given a mission. It's not the easiest mission in the world. Like last season, it was not easy. Maybe this one is even more complex. I am in my mission, I work every day, I give everything for this club. I'm making the most of being at this club because I know how lucky I am to be here. My message is simple, I am moving forward and this type of thing is not going to set me back. The coaches are there and sometimes, the next day, they are no longer there. That's how it is. But as long as I'm here, I'm determined and firm in my beliefs. There's no problem about that and the names that are circulating don't affect me at all.”
A replacement in the waiting room for ASSE
After the rout at Angers (4-2 defeat), the newspaper L'Equipe published an article on ASSE's interest in Wilfried Nancy: “This patience does not prevent us from looking at other profiles, and contact would have been made in particular with Wilfried Nancy, coach of Columbus Crew, whom he led to the MLS title last year. Information that those close to Saint-Etienne management refused to comment on.
The contact would have been initiated even before the defeat against Angers and would concern not only the technician but also his staff. The 47-year-old Frenchman enjoys advantageous salary conditions across the Atlantic (around 100,000 euros per month) and it seems impossible in any case to imagine his franchise freeing him immediately, while the play-offs begin (final December 7). Even if he never hid his desire to return to Europe one day.“
Wilfried Nancy est disponible !
New twists and turns this weekend. Olivier Dall'Oglio managed to win against Strasbourg. Paying choices and a deserved victory for the Stéphanois (2-0). However, ASSE remains a barrier in Ligue 1 before a perilous trip to Lyon. Always a special derby where ODO will once again be under great pressure.
A pressure to which is added an external parameter. Indeed, last night, Wilfried Nancy and Dylan Chambost lost for the second time against the New York Red Bulls. A defeat on penalties for Columbus who was eliminated from the Play offs in the first round. A big disappointment for the franchise. But following this result, Wilfried Nancy is now able to leave MLS in the event of an offer that would satisfy all parties. The coming weeks promise to be exciting. To be continued!
