Players & Staff

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 then repositioned as an attacking midfielder, or even as a supporting striker. A good decision for Seattle, since Le Toux went on to score countless goals and reveal himself as one of the best players in the league. At the end of 2008, the Sounders were involved in the creation of the new league (MLS, first tier of American football). He remained at the club for one more year before being transferred to Philadelphia Union in November 2009.

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 dominating role in the excellent performances by “Les Merlus” in the cup competitions, scoring the winning goal in the Coupe de France final. While Lorient was relegated, Darcheville was logically transferred. He landed in Bordeaux where he would remain for the following five seasons, alternating the good with the less good. After he left the Girondins in 2007, he drifted from club to club, with experiences in Scotland with the Glasgow Rangers, in L1 with Valenciennes, in L2 with Nantes, or in Greece with Kavala.

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 this level, Féret was transferred to Nancy and discovered the top flight, aged 26. A slow maturing player, he naturally made his way in the top division, becoming one of the best midfielders in the league and a contender for the French national team. After three seasons in Nancy, he acknowledged the interest from Stade Rennes and jumped the occasion to return to his first club. He will be expected to become the club’s technical leader, taking over the role of Jérôme Leroy.

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 went on to win many trophies with Lyon.

Trained in Brest Armorique, Stéphane Guivarc'h started in D1 with the Finistere club. When the club had to bid farewell to professionalism after its bankruptcy, Guivarc'h packed up and arrived close to Brest, at Guingamp. In this club, engaged in D2, he became a promising scorer. His 23 goals scored during the 1994-1995 season seduced AJ Auxerre, who enrolled him in July 1995. His adaptation to D1 was difficult and Guivarc'h only took a minor part in the cup-championship double achieved by the club from Bourgogne in 1996. Loaned to Stade Rennais the following year, he truly exploded under the red and black jersey. With 30 goals scored in a single season, he did better than simply replacing Marco Grassi, and was consecrated the best goal scorer of the championship. Returning in Auxerre next season, he was crowned the best goal scorer for the second consecutive time and was called to the France squad with which he won the World Cup. Then at the peak of his career, he sadly missed several major opportunities to score in the final against Brazil. Despite the title, this World Cup remained a personal failure on a personal level, which wouldl follow him for the rest of his career. Transferred to England after the World Cup, his experience at Newcastle turned out to a stinging failure and he didn’t significantly succeed at Glasgow Rangers either, for the second part of the 1998-1999 season. Back to Auxerre, he scored around twenty times in two years, and then finished his professional career at Guingamp. After a brief experience in Guingamp’s staff, he started a commercial career but fulfils several activities at the same time. He is thus coach of US Trégunc, an amateur team of South-Finistere, and occasionally comments football matches on TV

While he played for Saint-Brieuc, Patrice Carteron drew the attention of the Stade Rennais. By a combination of circumstances, both parts failed to agree and Carteron started his professional career with Laval, then in Division 2. Recruited two years later by Stade Rennais, he became the team’s immovable left defender. Defender with a sense of duty, he played about a hundred matches with the red and black jersey, before he was recruited by the Olympique lyonnais. He continued is progression there during three years, and then he signed at Saint-Étienne in 2000, just before Lyon’s greatest era began. He stayed in the Forez for five years, three in L2 and two in L1. Ending his player career at AS Cannes, he started his new life there, first as recruiter and then as manager of the first team. In june 2009, he became the coach of Dijon, in L2. In June 2011, he gained promotion to Ligue 1 with Dijon.

After his debut in the Czech championship aged only 17, Petr Čech was revealed during the U-23 European Championship in 2002. As the final went to penalty shoot outs, the tall goalkeeper destroyed all the French hopes to offer the victory to his country. Čech obviously received the attention of many scouts, and decided to continue his career in France, where Stade Rennais was the ideal step. Transferred for 5 million, the goalkeeper would bring in much more to Stade Rennais two years later when Chelsea came to recruit him. An immovable wall behind Rennes’ defence he contributed actively to maintain the club in Ligue 1 in 2003, then during his revival in 2004. Chelsea and Stade Rennais found a financial deal in January 2004 to transfer him in June, in exchange of a 12 million euros fee. Arrived in England, Čech became one of the best goalkeepers in the world and went on to win many trophies. Now, only a victory in Champion's League misses in his achievements with his club.

Playing at SCO Angers, he was noticed by Stade Rennais who would recruit him before he turned 17 and invite him to join the club’s Academy. After a year and a half with the academy squad he started in Division 1 in February 1998. This would be the beginning of a substantial professional career. Réveillère played 5 full years in the Stade Rennais colours, and became one of its key defensive elements. Eager to evolve, he was loaned to Valencia for 6 months in 2003, but failed to convince the Spanish club. After his return, he was finally bought by Olympique Lyonnais, just crowned with their second champion of France title. In the Rhône he earned a substantial amount of silverware and a few caps with the national squad, confirming his status as one of France’s best right backs.