Claude DUBAËLE

Claude Dubaële was born in Lens ans started his football journey as a player before going into coaching. He was developed at Reims, and played for the team for six seasons between 1958-1964, in the process winning three French league titles, and making several appearances in the European Cup. In 1964, he joined Stade Rennais with whom he won the French Cup in 1965. As an attacking midfielder, who could also play up front, he would have a pretty successful playing career, scoring a number of goals for all the clubs he played for. After Rennes, he would play at Angers and Lille before finishing his playing days as a professional with Le Mans in 1973. In that same year, he began his coaching badge course whilst at Fossemagne in the Dordogne region of France, in the role of player/manager. He then returned to Rennes, in 1974 to take over the Academy set up and work in youth development at the club. He was subsequently offered the First Team management job in 1975, but he turned down the opportunity. It was a short-lived refusal, as he accepted the same role a year later, in 1976, taking over from Antoine Cuissard. Unfortunately for him, Rennes season under his stewardship was catastrophic. The Red and Blacks finished rock bottom of the First Division, with the worst defensive record in the league, and just 6 victories all season. He still maintained the confidence of the club's owners for the following season, which was heavily impacted by financial problems at Rennes. After a mediocre beginning to the 1977/1978 season, he was sacked in January 1978, albeit more for financial reasons rather than sporting ones, along with Cuissard (who was the Director of Football) and Tonnel (the striker). He was replaced by Jubert for the second half of the season. Dubaële would move on to take over the Academy set up at Paris Saint Germain, where he would spend one season, before taking over the role as First Team Manager at Red Star, who he managed to get promoted to the Fourth Division at the end of the 1979/1980 season. After that, he took on the management of Montferrand, and eventually, several years later, he managed Condé Sports from 1994 to 1995.