Tony VAIRELLES

In the 2003/2004 season, Laszlo Bölöni became the new First Team Manager at Stade Rennais FC, arriving from Sporting Portugal. Having little or no knowledge of players he inherited in the Rennes squad, notably strikers Piquionne and Frei, the Romanian decided to bring in a player who he knew only too well: Tony Vairelles. Signed from Lens, Vairelles was brought to the club to erase the memory of the previous flop summer signing, Ivanov. After sitting on the bench along with Frei in the first few months of the season, the French international came on to support the first-choice strike pairing of N’Guéma and Piquionne at the end of matches. When he finally got his first start in the team against Le Mans (2-0) at the end of September, he was completely out of sorts, and in the following weeks could only sit and watch the blossoming form of a legendary goalscorer named Frei. Despite his serious and willing attitude and the former Lyon player never managed to establish himself in the starting line-up. His only goal came against Ajaccio in February 2004 (4-1), and his re-signed for Bastia at the end of the season.