Roussey pays price of St-Etienne slump
Monday, November 10, 2008
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AS Saint-Etienne may be flying high in the UEFA Cup group stage but a run of five Ligue 1 defeats has cost coach Laurent Roussey his job with Alain Blachon, Gérard Fernandez and Thierry Cotte appointed as caretakers.
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'Change of direction'
Sunday's 3-0 home loss to Stade Rennais FC, the team's second three-goal reverse in as many games at their Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, prompted today's decision by the St-Etienne board. A club statement read: "Considering the recent performances, as well as certain problems related to the behind-the-scenes running of the side, St-Etienne ... have decided on a change of direction. Laurent Roussey met with the club's directors today to discuss the on-field situation as well as the new set-up. After this interview ... the directors decided to relieve Laurent Roussey of his first-team duties. That responsibility has been passed on, provisionally, to Alain Blachon, Gérard Fernandez and Thierry Cotte."
European qualification
Academy boss Blachon, Roussey's assistant Fernandez and fitness trainer Cotte take over from a coach who led St-Etienne to fifth place in 2007/08 – and their first season of UEFA Cup football since 1982/83 – in his only full campaign at the helm. Former St-Etienne striker Roussey, 46, had stepped up from an assistant's role to succeed Ivan Hašek in June 2007. However, a sequence of four victories in the UEFA Cup, with back-to-back wins against first-round opponents Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC preceding Group G successes against FC København and Rosenborg BK, was not enough to save the coach of a side lying 18th in the 20-team French élite. His removal was pre-empted by the appointment last night of former St-Etienne chief scout Damien Comolli as director of football, two weeks after Comolli's sacking by Tottenham Hotspur FC. Possible long-term replacements for Roussey are Alain Perrin, Didier Deschamps, Frédéric Hantz and Jacques Santini.