Players & Staff

Arrived very young at Stade Rennes, Saliou Lassissi is trained in Rennes’ academy before playing with A team in 1996. This young Ivorian becomes then the club’s revelation during 1996-1997 season, thanks to big performances. Unfortunately, he confirms feebly his level during 1997-1998 season and is transferred to Parma. The Italian club, which imagines him as a “new Thuram”, doesn’t trust him immediately and loans him to Sampdoria and then to Fiorentina. There, Lassissi confirms his potential and help the “Fio” squad to win the Italian Cup in 2001. Recruited by AS Roma, he will never play within the giallorossi jersey: victim of a terrible tibia-fibula fracture, he spends three years in the infirmary before being released at the end of his contract in 2004. After one unemployment year, Nancy attempts to boost his career, but this experience in Lorraine is a failure. Lassissi returns then in Ivory Coast, and then tries his luck once again in Europe: first in Switzerland and then with Sannois-Saint-Gratien in National division. With no convincing results.

After his beginnings in Mayenne, with Stade Lavallois, Ousmane Dabo joined Stade Rennais aged 13. He made the training at the club's Academy, and his qualities soon brought him to knock at the door of the professional group. In 1995 he was only 18 when he is started in Division 1, breaking through the professional ranks. But, like the defender Mikaël Silvestre who progressed at the same time, Dabo remained under a probationary contract. When Stade Rennais proposed him a professional contract after three years, player and club failed to find a financial agreement, and threats from Rennes leaders eventually convinceD him to leave. Bypassing rules that forced them to become professional in their training club, Dabo and Silvestre leave to Italy and join to Inter Milan. Dabo begins a long italian career, it will take time for impose himself in the squad. He finally succeeds to this point in Bergamo, then in Lazio and wins briefly an international status in 2003.

Arrived in Rennes with his father Christian, Yoann Gourcuff become quickly one of the most promising player of the rennes squad, and participate activily to the successful way during Gambardella 2003 Courted by many big european clubs he decides to stay in brittany, signing his first professional contract at only 17. After a quick integration in the professional group and with 80 games started with the first team, he chooses at 20 years old not to extend his contract to join one of the biggest european club, AC Milano. After a good beginning, he become to be a regular on the bench and deceive to confirm the hopes placed in him. In lack of game time, he comes back in France with a loan in Bordeaux and litteraly exploses to the point of becoming a major player with the french international team.

Loyal between the loyals, Olivier Sorlin stayed during eight years in the Rennes team, playing over 200 games under the black & red colours. He is a versatile midfielder and able to play with both foots, the native of Saint-Etienne has the ability to handle the strong and weak periods of his team with a very good conversation of the ball and a quality of pass just as good. Left off by Guy Lacombe in the begining of season 2008-2009 he is loaned in january 2009 to PAOK Salonique then definitely transfered to the greek club, satisfied by his performances.

Will John Verhoek follow the steps of Erik van den Boogaard, Stade Rennes’ prolific Dutch striker in the 1980s? Recruited during the winter transfer window in January 2011, the young striker will have to prove his goal scoring abilities and confirm the qualities he has shown in the Dutch second division.

A young defender arrived from Senegal, Pape Malick Kandji joined the Stade Rennais during the 2010-2011 season. After a satisfying trial, the Breton club offered him a professional contract effective from January 2011. The player, who admits he comes to Rennes to continue his training, will first play with the Reserve before - maybe- stepping up to Ligue 1 level.

Trained in Châteauroux, where he had his first professional experience in Ligue 2, Razak Boukari spent a long time in Lens. In Artois during four years and half, he built the reputation of a sometimes brilliant often inconstant player for himself. Recruited in January 2011 to strengthen a struggling Rennes attacking line, he will have the mission to confirm in Rennes the potential seen since he came to professional football.

Revealed during the 2003 U20 World cup, in which he played for Colombia, Víctor Hugo Montaño arrived in France in 2004. After scoring fifty goals in a bit more than 60 games in his home country with his club of Los Millonarios, Montaño indeed signed a contract for Istres, freshly promoted to Ligue 1. Although he managed to gain some playing time (33 games, including 11 starts), he finished the season with only 2 goals to his tally. While Istres was relegated at the end of the season, the Colombian joined Montpellier, then in Ligue 2. Again, his debuts were difficult, with only 12 goals in 88 games for his first three seasons. But the following two years would reveal his ability, with 15 goals scored in 2008-2009 and 11 in 2009-2010. His performances eventually caught the eye of the Stade Rennais, then looking for a substitute to Jimmy Briand.

Trained at Le Havre, Jean-Armel Kana-Biyik decided to reach another step by joining the Stade Rennais in June 2010. Gifted with “rare physical aptitudes for a Ligue 1 player”, according to Frédéric Antonetti, the U21 international will try to get time on the pitch and get a chance to disturb the pre-existing hierarchy. The nephew of François Oman-Biyik, famously a striker for the « Rouge et Noir » during the 1990-1991 season, the former Le Havre player will try to make himself a name in Rennes.

His transfer was long to conclude, but Stéphane Dalmat eventually joined the Stade Rennais, his eleventh club. Good with both his feet, very technical, he is expected to bring the power and tonicity the Breton midfield was missing. A great hope of French football, emigrated abroad very early in his career (Inter Milan), the former U21 international never confirmed. After three good seasons at the FC Sochaux, he joins the “Rouge et Noir” for a new challenge. Maybe his last…