American-owned Le Havre appoints Ismaël as coach to tackle crisis at French league's oldest club
LE HAVRE, France (AP) — Valérien Ismaël has been appointed as Le Havre coach until the end of the season, with the club sitting rock bottom in the Ligue 1 standings. The 51-year-old former defender was hired as a replacement for Didier Digard.
Valérien Ismaël, the 51-year-old former defender, has been named as the coach of Le Havre, a French football club that currently finds itself at the bottom of the Ligue 1 standings. The club, founded in 1872 and considered the oldest in professional French soccer, is owned by Blue Crow, a Houston-based multi-club group. Since the takeover in July 2025, fans have expressed discontent with the sporting situation.
Despite being winless in the Ligue 1, Le Havre has managed just two points from their first ten matches of the season. Ismaël, who has a distinguished coaching career spanning Germany, Greece, Austria, Turkey, and England, is tasked with the challenge of steering the struggling club out of the relegation zone. Drawing upon his experience of handling "emergency situations," Le Havre expressed confidence that his expertise could prove beneficial in the coming weeks.
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