"Romain Pitau, Pascal Baills and Frédéric Mendy (his deputies, editor's note) were informed today of their layoff as a precautionary measure" and dismissed "from their functions within the men's professional team", indicated the Hérault club. in a brief press release published at the end of the day.

Montpellier president Laurent Nicollin is expected to present the new coach on Wednesday afternoon at a press conference scheduled for 3 p.m.

According to information from the daily L'Equipe, relayed by RMC, this new coach should be Michel Der Zakarian, sacked from Brest on October 11, who has already coached Montpellier for four years, from 2017 to 2021.

The defeat on Sunday in Strasbourg (2-0), a candidate for maintenance who had not yet won at home this season, was therefore one defeat too many for Pitau.

The 45-year-old former club midfielder replaced Olivier Dall'Oglio on October 17, the day after a 1-0 defeat at Lens (1-0).

But he never found the solutions to revive a Montpellier team in need of confidence and especially defensive reliability.

Worse, with eight points taken in eleven games, the former assistant of Dall'Oglio, who was making his baptism on a Ligue 1 bench, did less well than his predecessor (12 points in 11 games).

During the truce of the World, Pitau had carried out a new physical preparation, with in particular an internship in Spain, which had seemed to be able to initiate a new dynamic.

But this was quickly thwarted by elimination from the Coupe de France in the first round in Pau (L2).

Pitau, who ended his playing career in 2013 in Montpellier, a year after winning the title, above all failed to stabilize the defense despite the contribution of three recruits during the transfer window, goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte, defender center Boubacar Kouyaté and side Issiaga Sylla.

Since mid-October, his team has conceded 23 goals, victim in particular of the Nice awakening (6-1) in January, and displayed the same excitement as during the first quarter of the season under Dall'Oglio.

The MHSC is currently 15th in the championship, only two points ahead of Strasbourg, the first to relegate.

© 2023 AFP