Henri GUÉRIN

Henri Guérin was a defender who hailed from the Marne region of France, in the Paris area. Henri Guérin was developped at TA Rennes at the beginning of the 1940s. During the Second World War, he discovered professional football, joining the federal team of Rennes-Bretagne between 1943-1944. Thereafter, he returned to ply his trade in amateur football, playing for Drapeau de Fougères for a season, and then making a quick return to TA Rennes before being snapped up by Stade Rennais in 1945. He was a regular in the First Team starting line-up playing in defence for six years, and even made a few apperances in midfield or even up front. He was called up to make three appearances for France between 1948-1949. In 1951, he would leave Brittany behind, signing for Stade Français, with whom he would experience relegation, and a Second Division league title the following season... He would then go into exile in the South of France with Aix-en-Provence, where he would spend two seasons. In 1955, he was called back to Stade Rennais to try and help them get promotion back to the First Division, something he managed to do as Player/Manager in his very first season in charge. Rennes finished Second Division Champions in 1956. As time went on, he would play less-and-less, and chose to end his playing career in 1961. Thereafter, he would go on to manage Saint-Etienne for a season, winning the French Cup in 1962, and then became the head coach/manager of the French National Team from 1962-1966. He would later take on the mantle of National Technical Director and the French Football Federation, and the role of Vice President of the Brittany Football League in the 1980s. He passed away in Saint-Coulomb on 2nd April 1995, and as a tribute to Guérin, several years later, Stade Rennais named their training ground at La Piverdière after him.