Record Ligue 1 churn as 12 of 18 clubs change coach | OneFootball

Two thirds of Ligue 1 will start the new season with a new head coach. The scale of the 12 changes is unprecedented in the French top flight.

According to L'Équipe, Ligue 1 leads Europe’s major leagues for close‑season appointments, ahead of Serie A and the Premier League on 9 of 20, La Liga on 6 of 20, and the Bundesliga on 4 of 18.

Six clubs have kept their coach. Le Havre, Didier Digard since July 2024, Le Mans, Patrick Videira since July 2024, Lyon, Paulo Fonseca since January 2025, Paris‑SG, Luis Enrique since July 2023, Rennes, Franck Haise since February 2026, and Troyes, Stéphane Dumont since August 2024.

This is the busiest close season on French benches even compared with the 20‑club era, which ended in summer 2023. Bruno Genesio is the most seasoned coach in the division, ahead of Franck Haise and Paulo Fonseca. Luis Enrique currently has the longest ongoing tenure.

Nantes are the most volatile. Since Waldemar Kita took charge in August 2007, 20 coaches have come and gone in 19 years, with Michel Der Zakarian, now in Ligue 2, serving three spells, and Antoine Kombouaré and Vahid Halilhodzic each returning twice.

Ligue 2 has felt the churn too, with 9 of 18 clubs changing coach. Notable new pairings abroad include Ruben Amorim at AC Milan, Massimiliano Allegri at Napoli, Maurizio Sarri at Atalanta, Fabio Grosso at Fiorentina and Gennaro Gattuso at Lazio. Elsewhere, Enzo Maresca at Manchester City and Xabi Alonso at Chelsea headline moves in England, while José Mourinho has taken Real Madrid and Adi Hütter has joined Eintracht Frankfurt.

Source: L'Équipe

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”