Petter HANSSON

Renowned for signing tried-and-tested international players who were out of contract, Dréossi didn’t disappoint in 2007 when he signed Petter Hansson for Rennes from Heerenveen from right under the noses of Hollands biggest clubs. Voted best central defender in the Eredivisie on two occasions, the Swedish international was brought in to replace the departed Bourillon, and help out Mensah at the heart of the defence. At the start, Hansson seemed to be ponderous and overwhelmed, but the tall blond bounced back to everyone’s surprise with his fighting spirit, his powerful presence in the air, and his amazing positional sense. Having scored the opening goal of the season for Rennes against Saint-Etienne in a 1-0 victory, Hansson went on the play every game and had three full seasons. Spared of injuries, he played 45 matches in his first season, 46 in the second and 38 in his last season. He was skipper in the French Cup Final in 2009, where he missed out on a place in history - along with the entire team – as they were beaten 1-2 by Guingamp. He played out his contract under Antonetti, and joined Monaco on a free transfer in June 2010.