Like Antoine Combuire, this coach returned to his club… but with what result?

The surprising effect was total. And confuses you too. Less than a year after leaving FC Nantes, Antoine Combourt will return to the Canaries bench on Saturday, March 16, to replace Jocelyn Gorvanek, who was sacked by Nantes management after the defeat against Strasbourg (1-3).

President Valdemar Keita thus decided to hand over “maintenance operations” to his former Canuck coach (2021-2023) with eight matches remaining, whom he sacked last May when FC Nantes were sliding dangerously down Ligue 1. A question then arises. : Is bringing back your “exes” an effective way to restart the machine?

They gave a winning return

Like FC Nantes, other Ligue 1 clubs have taken the gamble of bringing their former technician back into the fold… but to very different results. Some even came back with flying colors. We can take an example in the coach currently in office Julian Stephan.

After leaving Stade Rennais in March 2021, the 43-year-old returned to the shores of Villeneuve in November 2023 to replace coach Bruno Genesio. He regained a sluggish streak in the championship (13^E Ligue 1), just one point ahead of the play-off places. After a difficult start, the former Strasbourg coach managed to turn things around and start a dynamic. Contract extension is also being discussed.

Another example is compensation Michel Der Zakarian Montpellier. MHSC’s coach between 2017 and 2021, the 61-year-old technician returned south in February 2023 and literally changed the inhabitants of Montpellier. It allowed Montpellier to escape the red zone and become one of the best teams in terms of accounting until the end of the season. Coach of Nantes during the 2007–2008 season, which ended with promotion to Ligue 1, the Franco-Armenian coach also returned to the banks of the Loire in 2012 and allowed the Nantes team to once again move into the elite.

Without a club from 2022, Pablo Correa After two first stints (2002-2011 and 2013-2017) also made a huge return as ASNL coach in November 2023. Final in the National after his arrival, Nancy is now in fourth place and is now aiming to move up to League 2.

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More distant, but equally successful, is the return of Christian Gorkoff at FC Lorient. In three spells in charge of the Morbihan club (1982-1986, 1991-2001, 2003-2014), the 68-year-old coach managed to bring Merles up to Ligue 1 three times (1998, 2001, 2006) and stabilize. Elite class by offering an exciting game. Also returned to Strasbourg three times (1995-1998, 2004-2006, 2014-2016), Jackie Duguipereaux Won two Coupe de la Ligue (1997 and 2005) and brought Racing back to Ligue 2 (2016). In 2020, he was also voted the best coach in the history of RC Strasbourg by the club’s supporters.

After six years at the helm of FC Nantes, Jean-Claude Pseudeau But it was made come back Leading the yellow and green club to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 1996, then in 1991 to winning the French Championship title in 1995.

They proved that it was a bad idea to begin with

While some have been successful, others have not had the same luck and have shown that we should be wary of words starting with “re”. Lucien Favre Will not speak against. After a first stint at the OGC Nice between 2016 and 2018, the Swiss returned to the Côte d’Azur on June 27, 2022, being sacked on January 9, 2023 after eliminating Aglons in 32.^is Against Le Puy (0-1) in the Coupe de France final.

Recalled to Monaco in January 2019, replacing Thierry Henry, who succeeded him, Leonardo Jardim Monaco were sacked by the club for the second time in just over a year. The 49-year-old coach failed to repeat the feat of 2017, when he led his side to the French champions and the semi-finals of the Champions League.

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Ellen Casanova It also showed that returning to his former club was difficult. After a successful first stint between 2005 and 2015, returning to Toulouse in June 2018 after five seasons finishing in the top 10, he narrowly managed to keep the club in Ligue 1 through the play-offs, before beginning to suffer poor results. next season. Alain Casanova left the Toulouse club in October 2019.

Luis Fernandez, he was not missed, but experienced mixed results for his return to PSG. After leaving the capital club in 1996 with two National Cups and a Cup Winners’ Cup in his pocket, the current advisor for Bean Sports Returned to Paris in December 2000. Despite having plenty of squad (Ronaldinho, Anelka, Fiores, etc.), he never had the same success, finishing 9.^E In 2001, 4^E In 2002, then 11^E In 2003. At the end of the year he left PSG.

Also read this. Make a comment. At FC Nantes, leaving, coming back and it’s not Lelouch!

Just fired from FC Nantes, Jocelyn Gorvanek He also missed out on his return to Guingamp in 2018, the club with whom he won the Coupe de France in 2014 and was promoted to Ligue 1. Breton left EAG at the end of the 2018-2019 season, relegating the club to Ligue 2… something that the Nantes management wanted to avoid by sending Antoine Comboire back to the yellow house. The former PSG coach will try to show that going back to basics can be a good option to turn things around quickly.