Current 3rd in Ligue 1, Rennes announced Friday the surprise departure of its president Olivier Létang, who claimed to leave "reluctantly", without further details, after a little over two years in office and a coronation in the Coupe de France. With Olivier Létang, "Stade Rennes has taken new steps in its progression," said François-Henri Pinault, the club's shareholder since 1998, in a press release, assuring that the club could "rely on solid teams." to continue the current season in the best conditions. " Pending the appointment of a new manager, the interim must be provided by Jacques Delanoë, current chairman of the board of directors.
A successful season but fresh relations with the coach
Former player and then manager of Reims, Olivier Létang, was sports director of Paris Saint-Germain from 2012 to 2017 and arrived in Rennes in November 2017, with the mission of bringing stability and ambition to the Breton club. The arrival of this man of strong character had caused the departure of Christian Gourcuff, then coach of Rennes, who saw in him the embodiment of football subjected to money-king. Under his presidency, Rennes had a particularly successful 2018-2019 season, reaching for the first time in its history the knockout stages of the Europa League, before winning the Coupe de France, its first title in 48 years.
"I will not forget you"
But his relations with trainer Julien Stéphan are notoriously fresh, and his management has been questioned in recent months, with a summer transfer window subject to caution - even if the winter one allowed the arrival of the world champion Steven Nzonzi - and the departure of several executives in the fall. "We have lived 27 new and intense months during which Stade Rennais has broken many records on and off the field. Stade Rennais has never done so well sportingly and economically", assured Létang, quoted in the club press release. "I am obviously reluctant to leave you but I will not forget you, I will miss the ambiance of Roazhon Park," he added.