Imbroglio between the DRC Football Federation and Niort over coach Sébastien Desabre
French coach Sebastien Desabre.
Mohamed El-Shahed/AFP
Text by: Nicolas Bamba Follow
3 mins
Confusing situation around the French technician Sébastien Desabre.
On Saturday August 6, the Congolese Football Federation (Fecofa) announced that he was the new coach of the Leopards.
However, Sébastien Desabre is still the coach of the Niort club, which is offended.
The person concerned must clarify his future soon.
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Who will be the next coach of the DRC national team?
Hector Cuper, thanked at the beginning of June after a year at the head of the Leopards, does not yet have a successor, despite the press release from Fecofa on Saturday August 6.
An announcement which gave rise to a small contractual mess and which caused a lot of annoyance on the side of Niort.
Let's rewind: Saturday, on its official website, Fecofa publishes an
unequivocal article
.
"
Sébastien Desabre, the new coach of Leopards
" (sic), she announces.
The Federation specifies that the decision to appoint the technician to this position "
was taken during the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Federation held this Saturday, August 6, 2022
".
Only here, Sébastien Desabre is not free.
In June 2020, he signed a
current contract for two seasons
, plus an optional one, with the Chamois Niortais FC, resident of Ligue 2 in France.
And precisely, at the start of the evening, the Deux-Sèvres club had an appointment with Bastia, at home, on behalf of the second day of the championship.
The Chamois were quick to draw a press release in turn to express their "
surprise
" and to "
clarify the situation
".
“
The Chamois Niortais FC has never been in contact with Fecofa about its coach (…) and reiterates its desire to keep him beyond his current contract.
In addition, Chamois Niortais FC reserves the right to take any action against Fecofa following the particularly unwelcome publication of this ''official'' announcement (...)
", indicated the club chaired by Mickaël Hanouna .
[# Press Release] Update on Sébastien Desabre's situation ⤵️https://t.co/edE85lWkeh
– Chamois Niortais FC (@ChamoisNiortais) August 6, 2022
A premature announcement, but Desabre is the number 1 choice
In the wake of the heavy defeat conceded at the René-Gaillard stadium against the Corsicans (1-4), Sébastien Desabre spoke briefly about this imbroglio: "
I am completely transparent with Mr. Hanouna and the club, and I will communicate to this subject very quickly.
This is not the object of the evening.
Relaunched by journalists, the coach ended his press conference.
According to information from the newspaper
L'Équipe
, contact has been made between Fecofa and the entourage of Sébastien Desabre to make the French the next coach.
He would even be at the top of the shortlist of Congolese leaders, who received his CV a few weeks ago.
“
It is our number 1 choice which must be validated by our government.
Discussions have taken place with his agents.
This case is clear to us and we do not fully understand the reaction of the Niort club
”, Belgian Situatula, the secretary general of Fecofa, told the daily.
Sébastien Desabre is, still according to L'Équipe, very interested in the position of coach of the DRC.
But it seems that the announcement of the appointment of the former Uganda coach at the controls of the Leopards was premature.
A clarification must be made soon, as announced by the coach, and common ground must be found between each part.
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