René CÉDOLIN

Originally from the Yvelines area in the Paris region, René Cédolin spent his entire football career playing for Stade Rennais, between 1959 and 1972. He would rack up 367 appearances for the Red and Blacks, winning two French Cup titles with the club in 1965 and 1971. Towards the end of his playing career, he was given the responsibility of taking charge of the physical training of his team-mates, and became Assistant Manager to Jean Prouff for the 1971/1972 season, and all this whilst still playing. He would naturally go on to take over the rôle of First Team Manager outright for two-and-a-half years from 1972 to the end of February 1975. Tactically adept with the same 4-2-4 formation which was favoured by his predecessor, he maintained an excellent relationship with his players in his first two seasons. However, certain off-the-pitch difficulties would make communicating with the squad much more complicated in the season 1974/1975. In February 1975, with Rennes averaging over a point-a-game and sitting comfortably in 12th place in the table, Cédolin was sacked by President Lemoux, much to everyone's surprise. After Cédolin's departure, Rennes would not win a single match in the last 9 matchdays, and they ended up being relegated to the Second Division at end of the season. After 16 years with Stade Rennais, he left the club in 1975 to manage at Troyes, where he would spend three seasons. After that, he took charge at Guingamp, in the Second Division, from 1978-1981 and then had a six month spell with Angers. After that experience, he redirected his energy as of 1982 into youth team football development, notably at Sochaux, where he would spend some ten years, and with whom he would guide to victory in the 1983 French FA Youth Cup Final (Coupe Gambardella.) He would also work in coaching with Alès (for three years) and Niort (5 years), both still in youth development. He subsequently became advisor to the President of Le Havre until he retired from footballing duties altogether in 2003. In 2007, the stadium of Douvres-la-Délivrande, in the Caen area - where he played his first games of football - was named after him. Cédolin currently lives in Béziers, where he still actively follows the results of the clubs he coached, in particular those of Stade Rennais.