Stade Brestois coach Éric Roy dies aged 58 after pancreatic cancer | OneFootball

Éric Roy, the Stade Brestois head coach who led the club into the Champions League, died on Wednesday aged 58, his family said in a social media post. He had been battling pancreatic cancer for three and a half years.

His relatives said he faced the illness with remarkable strength and that he remained in charge at Brest last season.

A Nice academy product, Roy played for Lyon from 1993 to 1996, then for Marseille from 1996 to 1999, reaching the 1999 UEFA Cup final. He ended his playing career on the Côte d'Azur in 2004, before taking his first coaching role there six years later.

After a long break and a spell as sporting director at Lens, he arrived quietly at Brest in January 2023, recruited by Grégory Lorenzi. Known for his values and man-management, he guided the Ty Zefs to the Ligue 1 podium in 2024, then into a Champions League campaign the following season.

Brest advanced from the league phase, then went out in the play-offs to PSG, who went on to become European champions.

France coach Didier Deschamps said French football had lost a highly capable coach and a much loved personality. He highlighted Roy’s work at Brest, including qualification for the Champions League, and noted he had presented him with the Ligue 1 coach of the year award at the UNFP ceremony two years ago.

Source: Le Progres