“Régis Le Bris is the strong man”, says President Féry de Lorient

2023-07-07 23:06:23

The Lorient president returns to the real-false start of his coach, who now enjoys expanded prerogatives and an “English role”.

Lorient coach Régis Le Bris, tempted by a departure after a very successful first season, will finally stay with extended prerogatives, club president Loïc Féry announced on Friday. “Régis Le Bris is the strong man. I chose to combine several functions, in particular the training center and sports management, under his responsibility. It’s a bit more of an English role.“, explained Féry during a press conference.

«When you have someone you believe in, it’s important to be consistent“, he argued. Consequently, the general manager Arnaud Tanguy, whose position is found “emptied of its substance», will be oriented towards another role within the holding company.

I consider that the club has been attacked.

Loic Fery

Revelation of the season on the bench of professionals after ten years in the training of Merlus, Le Bris had surprised at the beginning of June by expressing the wish to leave the club. He was unhappy with the management of the team, with a winter transfer window that deprived him of his best players and doubts about priorities going forward. He was also much courted by Nice, who have since hired Francesco Farioli, another young coach with an ambitious game.

Indeed, Féry had refused to release his coach, under contract until 2027, and had made it known in early June in a scathing press release. “I consider that the club was attacked, I reacted with a press release to defend the club. This press release opened a somewhat difficult period internally“, recognized the president and majority shareholder. “The coach never told me he wanted to leave Lorient at all costssaid Fery. “There were a lot of things that were legit. It was not a problem of skills or people, but a vision of the organization.“At the end of the discussions and decisions, the coach is “completely motivated and absolutely determined to perform with FC Lorient“, assured the president.

Budget in “sharp increase”

After two years of struggling hard to maintain, Lorient finished 10th in L1 last season and Féry has ambitions for him “a role of challenger” This year. For this, its budget, which was close to 60 million euros last year, will be “up sharply“, promised the president without further details.