Franck Haise returns to Nice with Rennes after turbulent exit | OneFootball

Franck Haise returns to Nice with Rennes on Sunday, 69 days after leaving the club. According to L'Équipe, a year-long honeymoon gave way to a turbulent autumn.

His departure was confirmed 10 days after the return of Jean-Pierre Rivère and Maurice Cohen, and after a Coupe de France win at Saint-Étienne, 2-1, on 21 December. Nice were 13th in Ligue 1.

Problems were linked partly to a summer of upheaval, with Rivère leaving and Fabrice Bocquet promoted. Haise lost Evann Guessand and Marcin Bulka among others, sales outpacing shareholder investment, and Mahdi Camara chose Rennes on better terms. Even so, he extended in mid August to 2029.

Talks started in late July and were finalised after the Champions League third qualifying round against Benfica, lost 0-2 and 0-2, but were only announced on 5 September. Results then worsened, exposing recruitment limits and a lack of unity.

A dressing-room voice said it was not chaos, but the team had become fragile and less responsive. Haise questioned character, standards and attitude after Freiburg’s 1-3 on 6 November. After a 1-5 loss to OM on 21 November he offered to be the shock without resigning.

The board refused to negotiate until the 1-3 defeat at Lorient on 30 November, when fans targeted sporting director Florian Maurice. Haise considered leaving, then stayed before the split a month later. “In difficult moments, you also lose clarity,” he said on Friday.

Source: L'Équipe