Gary O'Neil exit leaves Strasbourg seeking new coach, British option under consideration | OneFootball

Six months after Liam Rosenior left for Chelsea, his replacement Gary O'Neil has departed Strasbourg for Ipswich Town, leaving Racing searching for a new head coach.

According to L'Équipe, president Marc Keller and sporting director David Weir have been in talks for one week with several coaches, mostly from abroad. O'Neil was presented by Ipswich on Tuesday and has signed until 2029.

The 43-year-old said the Premier League fits his personal ambition and that he felt his work there was not finished after Bournemouth and Wolverhampton. He described coaching in the division as the pinnacle of a career and something he could not turn down.

His switch surprised figures at the Meinau, given Ipswich do not share Chelsea's stature and he had already begun planning next season, including recruitment meetings.

O'Neil kept talks with Ipswich under wraps. He said he enjoyed his stint abroad, called working with BlueCo straightforward, praised their commitment to both Chelsea and Strasbourg, and said he left on good terms.

Strasbourg received five million euros in compensation and thanked O'Neil, Tim Jenkins, Neil Critchley and Ed Ames for their recent work. A decision on the new coach is expected within 10 days, with pre-season due to start on eight July with a new staff.

Source: L'Équipe