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A simple amateur player, Michel Le Milinaire made a name for himself as a coach. At the head of Stade Lavallois during almost 25 years, he led the club from Division 2 to the UEFA Cup. With him, the “Tangos” had their best years, even if the last ones were played back in D2. In October 1992, he was finally pushed towards the exit and briefly held a position of technical director. A few months later, Stade Rennes invited him to replace Didier Nothaux. Le Milinaire brought his science of (…)
The Brother of professional tennis player Nicolas Escudé, Julien Escudé followed the way taken by his father Paul, a former professional player of Girondins de Bordeaux. After his beginnings with the teams of Olympique Lyonnais's academy, he finished his training with AS Cannes, where he started his career in D2 during the 1998-1999 season. A year later, while Bordeaux was looking to recruit him it's finally Stade Rennais who managed to sign him. After a time of adjustement, Escudé quickly (…)
A Moroccan International, Houssaine Anafal arrived at Stade rennais in 1974. In attack, he played alongside players such as Laurent Pokou or Philippe Redon, but his first season in Brittany ended with a relegation to D2, and only three goals scored. Moving back to the midfield in 1975-1976, he realised a much better season, and contributed widely to the immediate return to the top flight. But Anafal suffers from homesickness, and wants to return to Morocco. In October, 1976, his contract (…)
Summer 2000. Blinded by its dreams of glory, Stade Rennes gambled over 20 million euros on a young Brazilian forward, portrayed as the new Ronaldo, and blew up its own record for recruitment. This player was Severino Lucas, who then played for Atletico Paranaense and theU21 Brazil selection. Just arrived, Lucas quickly appeared as a disappointment and had a lot of difficulties to assume his heavy price tag. He had the level of a decent Division 1 player, but certainly not the ability to be (…)
Player of duty, Philippe Delaye was trained in Montpellier, where he began his career in Division 1; After seven seasons at La Pallaide, Stade Rennais recruited him in 2000. In Brittany, his career was made of ups and downs. He was effective during the first season but the second was punctuated by several injuries. A popular figure with the Rennes fans, he was finally transferred to Bastia after three and a half seasons in Rennes, after failing to convince Laszlo Bölöni to rely on him. He (…)
A striker with an angelic face but “tough” against the defences, Marco Grassi arrived at Stade Rennes in August 1994. From his first match, his love story with the red and black club started with a first goal and a victory against Bordeaux. Skilful in front of the goals, he scored 15 goals in the league for his first season and mainly contributed to the club’s success in avoiding relegation to Division 2. Handicapped by few physical problems, his second season was not as good, even though (…)
Born in Vannes and trained at Stade Rennais, Gaël Danic started with the first squad during the 2000-2001 season. Launched by Paul Le Guen, he failed to confirm in the following year under Christian Gourcuff's management. Loaned to En Avant de Guingamp, in Ligue 2, he still didn’t manage to make his way in the first team. Therefore, Stade Rennais didn't extend his contract and let him go at the term of his contract. ItDanic would finally show his ability with Grenoble, in Ligue 2. Since (…)
A Midfielder born in Saint-Sulpice-la-Forêt and trained at the club, Yoann Bigné started his career with the professional squad during the 1996-1997 season. Touted the “new Didier Deschamps”, Bigné quickly made his way within the squad under Guy David's management, and then under Paul Le Guen. But the great prospect would never fully confirm his ability, and he would progressively lose playing time with increased competition on his position. After being left out during a last season with (…)
A versatile forward, able to play at centre or on a wing, Abdoulaye Sané joined Stade Rennes in July 2011 after completing a trial a few months earlier. Born in Senegal, he started his career with the AS Douanes, a club from Dakar competing in the country’s first division. Having signed a three-year contract, he will have to prove his ability with the reserve before hoping to make the leap to the professional squad.
Trained at Paris Saint-Germain, Chris Mavinga left the French capital very early to wear the prestigious red shirt of Liverpool, aged only 18. Within an overcrowded staff, the young defender (able to play at centre or on the left) only played with the Reserve, but his caps with the French youth national teams allowed him to shine. In 2010, he won the U19 Euro alongside Abdoulaye Diallo. Loaned to Genk for the second half of the 2010-2011 season, Mavinga eventually found his place in the (…)
Arrived in June 1998, Dominique Arribagé was forced to wait for a few weeks before making his debuts with Rennes. Controlled positive for nandrolone when he still played for Toulouse FC, he was suspended of all competitions for six months. Rehabilitated afterward, Arribagé would spend six seasons at Stade rennais FC. Previously, he had played for various clubs in Toulouse, before joining the TFC directly as a professional in 1992. A charismatic captain of Stade Rennais, gifted with (…)
Born in Senegal, El-Hadji Diouf arrived in France as a teenager and soon joined the FC Sochaux Academy. A few years later, he started his career in Division 1, and was recruited only one season later by Stade Rennais. After a nice start In Brittany, Diouf had difficulties to convince. With four goals scored (but only one in D1), he became especially famous for his off-pitch life. In 2000, Stade rennais loaned him to RC Lens and convinced the Artesian club to definitively keep him. A good (…)
Jocelyn Gourvennec was one of the iconic players of Stade Rennais during the 1990's. He began his career with Lorient and played his first game in Division 2 aged only 16 in 1988. During three years he experienced the chaotic life of a club still having a half-professional status and doing ups and downs between D2 and D3. In 1991, Stade Rennais recruited him as a trainee professional. In the same time, Gourvennec was following Sport Science studies at the university, but soon expectations (…)
A Forward during his playing career, Vahid Halilhodžić made Velež Mostar and Yugoslavia selection happy in the 1970’s. Transferred in France in 1981, he first played with Nantes, then with Paris Saint-Germain and was crowned the best goal scorer in D1 in two occasions. In 1990, Halilhodžić began his reconversion as a coach. His first great achievements were obtained in Morocco with Raja Casablanca, but he really broke through when managing Lille. He led the club from the depths of D2 to the (…)
Recruited by the Stade Rennais in June 2003 as he played at midfield, Pierre Lemonnier progressively evolved into a defender during his training. Whether it is in centre defence (his favourite position) or on the right flank of the Rennes defence, he convinced his coaches by his perseverance and hard work, even though he wasn’t originally a member of the club’s Academy. Lemonnier was awarded an intern contract in June 2011, with the ambition to make his mark in the Reserve, in CFA2.
Born in Djenné, Mali, Daouda Gérard started playing football in the club from the Rennes suburbs, the Espérance La Bouëxière. After he was spotted by the TA Rennes, his profile attracted the attention of the Stade Rennais, who saw a clear potential in the player. In June 2007, he signed his first licence with Stade Rennes before obtaining an aspirant contract, then an intern contract in June 2011. Next season, the centre back who can also play as a full-back on both flanks will try to (…)
At Stade Rennes since the age of 14, Kévin Beauverger has gone through every stage of at Rennes’ Academy. In 2010-2011, Laurent Huard offered him his first start with the reserve against Carquefou, at the left-back position. This season would be one to forget for him however, since he would spend over 6 months on the side lines with a groin injury. Satisfied with his past performances and believing in his potential ability, the club offered him a two-year intern contract in June 2011 (…)
A goalkeeper of very strong built, Devis Epassy is born in the Parisian region. He was recruited by the Stade Rennais while playing for Paris FC and following the pre-Academy scheme at the INF Clairefontaine. In 2008, he joined the Stade Rennais Academy to continue improving, and signed an intern contract in Summer 2011.
A fast, technical striker with a love for dribbling, Jonathan Pitroipa comes to reinforce the attacking sector in Rennes at the beginning of the 2011-2012 season. The Burkinabé made a name for himself on the German football pitches, first in Bundesliga.2 with Freiburg, then in the Bundesliga with Hamburg SV. In constant progression since he arrived in Europe, Pitroipa will have to continue this learning curve with the Stade Rennes shirt on. Expected to put the French defences to the sword, (…)
Marked as an up and coming Malian football player, Cheick Fantamady Diarra joined Stade Rennes in Ju;ly 2011. An attacking player scouted during the Junior African Cup of Nations a few months earlier, he will have to prove his ability with Rennes’ Reserve before maybe joining the professional squad.
Playing as a defender, Fabien Boyer has been through several academies before arriving at Stade Rennais. Not kept by Monaco in 2010, the player affirmed himself at Jura Sud, in the CFA, during the 2010-2011 season, showing enough potential to draw the attention of the Stade Rennais scouts. After a trial period, Boyer is therefore arriving in Britanny to first reinforce the Stade Rennes reserve. His mission will be to prove he has the qualities to be considered at a higher level.
A French-Moroccan forward, Yacine Qasmi completed all his training at Paris Saint-Germain, the club where he made his debut at the age of eight. Making his way up to the reserve in Paris, he even appeared with the first team during a Europa League match in December 2010. Finally not retained by the club of the capital, the U21 Moroccan international was recruited as a free agent by Stade rennais. Qasmi reinforces the reserve team in CFA2, with the opportunity to express his qualities and (…)
Born in the Finistère, Paul Le Guen started his professional career with Brest. After several seasons there, he moved to Nantes, and then two years later to Paris Saint-Germain, where he stayed for the rest of his playing career, and where he built up nice achievements. In 1998, the midfielder retired and immediately became coach of the ambitious Stade Rennais, freshly bought by François Pinault. His first season was very good and the club qualified to the Intertoto Cup, in which Rennes (…)
In November 1985, a young unknown player from Guadeloupe made a trial at Stade Rennais, recommended by the forward Mario Relmy who saw him playing for l'Étoile de Morne-à-l'Eau. After a successful trial, Jocelyn Angloma received an amateur contract, and started playing with the third team, before quickly joining the reserve team... then the professional squad. Just over 2 months after he arrived, he made his debut with the first team, in the Coupe de France. Not qualified to play in the (…)
Trained at the Stade Rennais, Sébastien Le Toux won the Gambardella Cup in 2003. Not retained by Stade Rennais a year later, he becomes professional at FC Lorient. In the Morbihan, he only plays about ten Ligue 2 matches in two years, and was eventually, once again, let go by his club. Unemployed during several months, he decided to exile to the United States and signed a contract to play in the USL (The American second division) with the Seattle Sounders. Trained as a defender, he was (…)
Born in Guyana, Jean Claude Darcheville arrived in mainland France in 1995 to sign for Stade Rennais. After two initial seasons in which he barely played (four games in D1 in two years), he gained more play time in 1997-1998, before moving on loan to Nottingham Forrest. After the English club didn’t keep him, he joined the FC Lorient where he finally broke through. After two seasons with over ten goals scored, he blossomed in D1 and scored nineteen goals. Better, Darcheville played a (…)
Born in Paris and trained at PSG, Grégory Paisley never really made it at the capital’s club. In January 2001, Stade Rennais recruited him to add a little more competition to the left-back position, but there too he struggled to break through. In a season and a half, he only started twenty-five games. After a season-long loan at Le Havre, the club sold him to FC Sochaux. Since then, Paisley played for a few Ligue 1 clubs. In June 2011, he joined Guingamp on a one-season contract.
Born in the Côtes d'Armor, Julien Féret started his career at the Stade Briochin (Saint Brieuc). Scouted by the Stade Rennais, he joined the club’s academy in 2000. Playing with the Reserve mainly, he came close to obtaining a professional contract but was eventually released by the club. Recruited by AS Cherbourg, he managed a very good 2003-2004 season in the National division, enough to be spotted and recruited in Ligue 2, in Niort and then in Reims. After four (very good) seasons at (…)
After three seasons in which he affirmed himself as one of the best, if not the best goalkeeper in Ligue 2, Benoît Costil arrives at the Stade Rennais to replace departing Nicolas Douchez. A great prospect at the Stade Malherbe de Caen, the Normand eventually failed to break through at professional level. Therefore, there is a feeling of revenge for Costil, as he joins Brittany in summer 2011, with a strong desire to show his real ability in Ligue 1.
Arrived during the winter transfer window of the 2003-2004 season, the Swedish international soon conquered the heart of Rennes’ public with his class and by his repeated decisiveness. A real pacemaker, responsible of the attacking phases, Kim became one of the centrepieces of Laszlo Bölöni’s team. After having delighted the Rennes supporters with many goals and assists, the Swedish finally decided to join the Olympique Lyonnais in June 2006. Regularly called in Swedish national team, he (…)