Official: Reims caretaker Samba Diawara officially becomes permanent coach, Frank Sharonsson promoted to assistant coach of the first team

French Ligue 1 club Reims issued a statement announcing that interim coach Samba Diawara has officially been appointed as the new head coach. The two sides did not disclose the specific length of the contract, but confirmed that it was a long-term appointment.

In order to fill the vacancy left by Diawara's promotion to head coach, the Reims management also adjusted the original coaching staff. They appointed 48-year-old Frank Sharonson as the assistant coach of the first team. The latter has been deeply involved in the youth training of Reims for 21 years.

Samba Diawara, 46, was born in Paris, France. He played for Red Star, Troyes, Istres, Rohans, Tibize, Charleroi Olympique, Saint-Giroux, etc. He also played 14 times for the Mali national team and helped the team advance to the semi-finals of the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations.

Diawara served as both a player and coach in Tibize in 2012, and officially transformed into a coach after retiring in 2014. He has worked as a youth trainer or assistant coach in Tibize, Saint-Giroux Union, Charleroi, Anderlecht and other teams, and joined Will Steele's coaching staff in Reims in November 2022.

In May last year, Diawara led the team as interim coach after Steele left, and finally finished the 2023/24 season with a record of 2 wins and 1 draw. He returned to the assistant coach position in the 2024/25 season and continued to assist the new coach Luca Elsner.

Regarding the decision to make Diawara permanent, Reims general manager Mathieu Lacour explained: "Our communication this week was very constructive, and the two sides finally reached a clear consensus. We decided to start a long-term cooperation with Samba and let him officially take charge of the first team. This is neither a short-term agent nor a transitional arrangement that only lasts until the end of the season: Samba is the team's official head coach. He will carry out his work as head coach from a long-term perspective and establish in-depth cooperation with the club."

"Rarely have I seen a coach receive such unanimous approval within a club. From the academy to the reserve team, to the management and of course the first-team coaching staff, Diawara has won the recognition of everyone on a personal level. The entire club wants to contribute to his success in their respective positions. I am sure that this positive energy will help us win games again and get out of the trough."

Diawara said: "When making this decision, I considered all the factors around me. The club and the management have always believed in me. They have always told me that I have the ability to become a coach, even if I did not actively strive for it."

"And the players, they made me change my mind. I'm not one to give up easily. The easiest thing to do would probably be to say, 'I'm just an assistant coach and I want to stay an assistant coach.' But I didn't want to let them down."

"As a member of the coaching staff, I am responsible for all the results. However, my attitude at the time was not appropriate. When you are a player and your coach tells you: 'I am just a temporary worker, not the permanent coach', will you still give your all? I am not sure. Therefore, my attitude to the players now is: they will not see another coach before the end of this season. They have to face me and convince me with their performances, which is completely the same as before."