Rennes coach Sampaoli officially sacked, replaced by Habib Beye

French Ligue 1 club Rennes issued a statement announcing that Jorge Sampaoli is no longer the head coach of the first team.

The statement read: "Rennes and Jorge Sampaoli have mutually agreed to terminate their cooperation. The club thanks him for his contribution, respects his outstanding professional experience and wishes Jorge Sampaoli all the best in his future career."

Jorge Sampaoli, 64, is an outstanding representative of Argentine coaches. He led Chile to win the America's Cup in 2015. He has also coached Sevilla, Argentina, Santos, Atletico Mineiro, Marseille, Flamengo and other teams, and will officially take over Rennes in November 2024.

Rennes' performance has been sluggish this season, and Sampaoli has been unable to reverse the decline since taking office. He has led the team to a record of 3 wins and 7 losses, and ranks 16th in Ligue 1 with 5 wins, 2 draws, 12 losses and 17 points.

Habib Beye

Rennes' new head coach will be 47-year-old Senegalese star Habib Beye. His contract is confirmed to last until the end of this season, with the option to renew for another year.

Habib Beye played for Strasbourg, Marseille, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Doncaster Rovers and other teams during his playing career, and retired from professional football in 2012. He has been coaching at the French Ligue 2 Red Star Club since 2021, and has led the team to 55 wins, 23 draws and 29 losses so far.

Regarding Beye's arrival, Rennes executive chairman and general manager Arnaud Pouille explained: "Rennes is very pleased to welcome Habib Beye. Faced with a deteriorating competitive situation, we have decided to make changes. Habib will bring his energy, determination and deep understanding of the French league to the team. The club has full confidence in him and believes that he can lead the team to regain vitality and return to the top of the Ligue 1 standings."

Beye said: "It is a great honor for me to coach Rennes, which is known for its long history and distinctive features in the league. If you experience the atmosphere of Rennes Park Stadium in person, you will understand what it represents. The difficulties currently faced by Rennes Football Club must be transformed into a challenge. We have fully studied the team and the French Ligue 1 and are ready to meet the challenge."

"I look forward to meeting the team and starting work as soon as possible. What is my coaching philosophy? I want my team to control the tempo of the game and play at a high intensity."

"As a coach, the biggest goal has to be to maximise the team's existing strengths. We have 15 games ahead of us and it's an exciting challenge."