Introduction by Stade Rennais F.C. Executive President and Chief Executive Officer Arnaud Pouille
“We are here to welcome Franck Haise, who today takes charge of the professional squad. The decisions taken over the past few days were made collectively and unanimously, together with the owner, the sporting management and myself.
We ended our collaboration with Habib Beye and entrusted the interim role to Sébastien Tambouret and his staff. We warmly thank him, both for the result, but above all for the image shown on Friday night against Paris.
Finally, Franck’s arrival quickly became an obvious choice. It is rare to have a coach with such experience available at this point in the season. But that’s not all, of course. Franck was developed at Stade Rennais and fits perfectly with the project we want to implement.
Franck’s missions are well known: to give maximum enjoyment to our supporters and the region, to continue developing the Academy’s potential, and to qualify for European competition.”
Introduction by Loïc Désiré, Sporting Director of Stade Rennais F.C.
“I’m very happy to welcome Franck. We got to know each other almost 20 years ago, when he was working in pre-academy and with the U15s at Stade Rennais F.C., and I was at Vannes. There was a partnership between the two clubs that allowed us to meet and exchange ideas. We stayed in regular contact in the years that followed through our respective roles.
Why Franck? Last summer, you asked me about the profile of our recruits. He fits perfectly into the same line: 200 Ligue 1 matches, extensive experience in European competitions, and a strong knowledge of Stade Rennais as a development club. There’s continuity with our player recruitment strategy.
Franck understands the importance of the club in Brittany and the reputation of the Academy in France. He knows we must continue to integrate young players into the first team - if they have the level, of course. A process has been put in place so that, step by step, Franck can use them in the best possible way. We’re still in the race for European qualification; it’s an objective, and we hope to achieve it together.
Despite a difficult period, the group has remained connected and fully committed in training. They showed that mindset against Paris. The players have consistently displayed a lot of professionalism. The group spirit is strong as well, this is a very solid foundation to perform.”
Franck Haise
“I’m very happy to be here, and I say that with complete sincerity. It’s a club that has played an important role in my career, and I hope that will continue. I’ve clearly heard the objectives, and they are legitimate. This won’t be the mission of just one person, but of the entire club. There are also owners who have been working tremendously hard for the club for some time now. Stade Rennais is a very well-structured club, with a renowned academy, and it has to be aiming for Europe. Finally, since football is a spectator sport, giving pleasure to our supporters must also be one of the main goals.”
An obvious return to SRFC?
“There are things that seem obvious but never actually happen. On several occasions, the conditions weren’t right for me to come back here. Today, they are. There aren’t many clubs that would have made me cut short my break. Saying yes to Stade Rennais was an obvious choice.”
A conquering mindset
“It’s only happened to me twice in my life to take such a long break—two months. The first time was due to COVID. Honestly, it did me good. Today, I’m coming back with a lot of desire and energy. I also had time to look back and analyze what I could have done better in my previous experiences. These two months allowed me to reflect on that and work on it.”
The challenge of arriving mid-season
“Six years ago, when I moved from the reserve team to the first team at Lens, the club was going through a difficult period, even though results were good, with a third-place finish in the league. Today, at Rennes, there are very solid foundations—in terms of the squad, the club’s structure, and its facilities. I hadn’t been back to La Piverdière for a few years. Last night, during the visit, I struggled to find my bearings. That’s proof the club has made great progress.”
His assessment of his time at Nice
“I experienced a very good first year, with a real result in the league (4th place). If there are many reasons why something works, there are just as many to explain why it doesn’t. One of them is that I think I should have preserved my energy for the group, to better help the team in the final months and weeks. I’ve reflected on that, and today my mission is to take care of the players and the staff, and not waste energy elsewhere. I needed to analyze what I had missed. I believe a coach must stay focused on his core job. I lost sight of that, and all I want now is to get back to basics.”
There is no magician, but there is determination, energy, and conviction.
His tactical approach to defending
“When I was in my formative years here, I never played with three or five defenders. I’m not dogmatic, and everything depends on how the squad is built. Stade Rennais’ squad is well constructed to play with either three or four at the back. That gives us the ability to do many things. Ultimately, it will be decided in the moment: what is the best setup to field the best team, to get the best players playing together?”
His knowledge of the squad
“As for the more experienced players, I know them well—and I’m not just talking about Brice or Frankie. I’ve followed some players because they interested me at a certain point, and I’ve observed many others as opponents. There are also the young players; there were five or six of them in training this morning. I gathered information—even though I already had some references—and I was able to see them myself on the pitch.”
Integrating Pierre-Alexandre Lelièvre into his staff
“I knew Pierre-Alexandre by name. It came up in a discussion with Loïc Désiré, where we talked about his profile. He’s a club assistant who knows the Academy and youth development very well, with a lot of experience already, even though he’s a young coach. I felt he ticked many boxes. After just seven or eight hours of work, you can already see he’s completely in his element. He’ll bring a lot to the staff and to the players—not just the youngsters.”
Balancing youth development and ambition
“There has been quality at the Academy for a very long time—sometimes with stronger years than others, as everywhere. Recruitment and coaching have always been of high quality. A coach plays young players when they have the potential to compete in Ligue 1. At Lens, for example, we played a few young players who weren’t necessarily academy products—thinking of Arnaud Kalimuendo or Loïc Badé, whom you know well here. Ultimately, it’s the players’ quality, mindset, humility, and work ethic that will earn them their place.”
His contribution to the team
“With the staff, I’ll try to support this group as best as possible. There’s no magician—but there is determination, energy, and conviction. I’ll try to be as true to myself as possible and make sure everyone can express themselves within the team. Success will always be collective.”
A positive kind of pressure that pushes us to give all our energy every single day, so that there will be great European Cup nights at Roazhon Park in the seasons to come.
A contract tied to objectives?
“The contract was never really a topic for us. First, because I’ve already had longer contracts that didn’t run their full course. And secondly, because I think it makes things simpler for everyone. If we’re all very happy, I know we won’t hesitate to extend together. Six months, one season, eighteen months… Let’s work together—the contract isn’t the most important thing.”
The pressure to succeed?
“When you’re at a Ligue 1 club like Stade Rennais, pressure is logical and legitimate. The objective of playing in Europe is a pressure that comes with the territory. It applies to everyone who represents Stade Rennais. It’s also a positive pressure that encourages us to put all our energy into our daily work, so that there can be great European matches at Roazhon Park in the coming seasons.”
His view on the match against PSG
“I was deep in the Laurentians in Quebec when I watched the match. It was early afternoon, and I watched it on a computer. Like you, I really enjoyed following that game. There was both talent and heart—two essential ingredients for getting results.”
His reunion with Mahdi Camara
“When you’re disappointed, you sometimes say certain things (editor’s note: linked with Nice this summer, Mahdi Camara ultimately signed for SRFC). But it was very easy to reconnect. Mahdi knew very well that I really wanted him in my squad. It didn’t happen at the time, but fate has brought us together today at Stade Rennais. We were very happy to see each other again, and he had a very good session this morning.”
His personality within a group
“I’m someone who’s passionate, who has also mellowed a bit over time—but not completely either. I start from a position of trust and always operate on that principle. I’m demanding, but also encouraging. That’s probably how I’d sum myself up, even if it’s not easy.”
His ties to Brittany
“I’d like to remind everyone that I’m Norman—I’m not going to deny my roots! Thanks to football, I had the chance to discover Brittany, and we always enjoyed coming here. I have family in La Motte, near Loudéac. Then there was Stade Rennais, FC Lorient… a period of more than ten years, so naturally strong ties were formed. There have always been many connections and a lot of pleasure in coming to Brittany. During international breaks, I always enjoyed going to Dinard in particular. It’s a very restorative place, one that my family and I really love.”
