Habib BEYE

On 30th January 2025, Stade Rennais welcomed Habib Beye as Head Coach. The former Senegalese international, and Canal+ pundit, the new coach started his second experience in football management, after three successful seasons at Manager of Red Star between 2021 and 2024. He signed for the Red and Blacks on a six-month contract and an optional additional year, and brought with him his backroom staff in the shape of Deputys Stéphane Bichard and Olivier Saragaglia. At the end of the 2024/2025 season, Rennes finished outside of the European places. Beye started the 2025/2026 season with the option of an additional year, but the contract extension was dependant on the Red and Blacks qualifying for Europe at the end of it. The start of the season was below-par, and the Senegalese manager found himself close to being pushed out. But Beye turned things round, after making some bold changes in personnel, and Stade Rennais went on a run of wins which put them back into contention for European football by Christmas 2025. But a run of tricky games saw Rennes lose four consecutive matches, including a derby defeat at home to Lorient (0-2), followed by three tough away fixtures at Monaco (0-4), Marseille (0-3) in the Round of 16 in the French Cup, and Lens (1-3). The inadequate level of the performances in that run of defeats hastened the difficult decision by the club's board to relieve Beye, and his backroom staff, of their duties on 9th February 2026, in spite of the fact that Rennes remained in a virtual European spot, 6th in Ligue 1 at the time. Beye finished his spell in Brittany with a record of 18 wins out of his 39 matches in charge, a ratio of 46% of victories in all competitions, and an average of 1.53 points per match. As happened with one of Beye's predecessors, Julian Stéphan, who was sacked 14 months previously, Stade Rennais appointed Sébastien Tambouret as caretaker manager, whilst waiting to employ a full-time replacement.