With Éric Roy on their minds, Brest begin season intent on writing a new story | OneFootball

Ligue 1 opened without Brest head coach Éric Roy, who died of pancreatic cancer on 17 June. Marseille marked his memory at the Vélodrome on Friday before hosting Strasbourg, recalling his spell at OM from 1996 to 1999.

According to L'Équipe, further tributes are planned on Saturday in Nice, his birthplace, and in Le Mans. Nice nurtured his career, he played there from 1988 to 1992 and 2002 to 2004, then coached the side from March 2010 to November 2011 in between executive roles.

At the Allianz Riviera, the match against Lorient will begin after a minute’s silence behind closed doors, with his photograph placed near the home dugout.

In Le Mans, who host Brest on their return to the top flight at 20:45 on Ligue 1+, club president Pedro Oliveira will present a blood and gold shirt reading "King Éric - 29", signed by his players, to a Brest official after the warm-up.

These individual gestures have prompted questions from some Brest supporters about the absence of a collective initiative from the LFP. The league, which paid tribute at the time through president Vincent Labrune, does not usually organise stadium honours, although there have been exceptions. Minutes of silence are typically reserved for victims of attacks, conflicts or natural disasters.

Away from that debate, Brest have prepared under Julien Lachuer, the former assistant who was set to take on more this season. He said he would have preferred Roy to be there and that the squad are thinking of him as the campaign begins. Aiming not to squander Roy’s legacy, Lachuer pointed to seven years in Ligue 1 and moments as high as the Champions League, and wants his staff to start their new chapter with energy at Le Mans.

Source: L'Équipe

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