Dupraz (59 years old), who succeeds Claude Puel sacked in early December, arrives for a half-season freelance, until June 2022.

He will take up his duties on Wednesday, after a one-week interim provided by Julien Sablé, and will be presented to supporters the same day at 2:00 p.m., the club said.

Five years ago, Dupraz took over the TFC, then 20th and last in Ligue 1.

The Toulouse team then achieved the feat of recovering a ten-point handicap on the first non-relegation to save themselves from relegation on the last day, before which he had held a talk that was remembered.

Toulouse coach Pascal Dupraz during the home match against Caen, counting for the 17th day of Ligue 1, December 9, 2017 at the Municipal Stadium PASCAL PAVANI AFP / Archives

Suffering from some health problems due to congenital heart disease, he was sacked twenty months later when Toulouse was 19th in L1.

- Leader of men -

A new challenge awaits him in Forez.

The Greens, who have won only two matches this season and remain on a series of four consecutive defeats, remain immersed in a governance crisis on the expected sales fund of the club.

A challenge cut out for this Haut-Savoyard with a reputation as a leader, endowed with a keen sense of the formula.

He was a professional player in Sochaux, Thonon (L2), Brest, Mulhouse, Toulon, Gueugnon (L2) with in particular 180 matches in Ligue 1.

But as a coach, he especially shone in the lower divisions.

Dupraz was one of the cornerstones of the Evian-Thonon-Gaillard FC project, formed around several mergers of clubs from Chablais and Geneva with the support of the Danone group.

Arrived in 1991 to end his playing career when the club was only FC Gaillard in Regional Honor (7th div.), He became its Honorary coach (6th div.) Contributing to his accession until National under the banner of Croix-de-Savoie, in 2006.

Evian coach Pascal Dupraz congratulated his players after their victory, 2-0 against Lorient, during their L1 match, September 27, 2014 at Stade du Moustoir JEAN-SEBASTIEN EVRARD AFP / Archives

With Pascal Dupraz on the bench, the team went down to National 2 before going back up two years later in N1 (2008).

He then became sports director (2009-2012) in a club that became ETG FC.

Back as a coach in early September 2012, succeeding Pablo Correa, he was dismissed in 2015, the year of relegation to Ligue 2, after a Coupe de France final in 2013, lost to Bordeaux (3-2).

Failure in Caen

More recently, Dupraz, who will find Jean-François Soucasse in Saint-Etienne, executive chairman whom he knew in Toulouse as general manager, has resumed service in Caen, in Ligue 2.

But he was sacked last March, when Stade Malherbe was 14th with results in free fall.

Pascal Dupraz, who accepted very low salary conditions for Ligue 1 along with a maintenance bonus, will lead a team in a crisis of confidence, sometimes unlucky.

ASSE will play Sunday in the Coupe de France at Lyon-La Duchère (N2, 4th div.) Before hosting Nantes on December 22 for the last match of the first leg.

And when the truce returns, he will have to manage a staff cut from five to six players who left for the African Cup of Nations, including the top scorer, Wahbi Khazri.

Absences that the January transfer window will only partially compensate, for lack of financial means to recruit.

An economic handicap of which Claude Puel had also been a victim during the last four transfer campaigns.

© 2021 AFP