Players & Staff

After three seasons in Germany, in Stuttgart and Kaiserslautern, Georges Mandjeck joined the Stade Rennais in summer 2010. A cameroon international, the young holding midfielder signed a four seasons contract with the Rouge et Noir for a transfer fee of 1.4 million euros. However, because of Yann M'Vila's talent, he is forced to wait for a chance to get in the first team.

Arrived to the Stade Rennais from Nice, Onyekachi Apam joins Frédéric Antonetti, his coach on the Cote d’Azur between 2006 and 2009. The Nigerian, hired for a fee of about 4.5 million euros,facing the daunting task to replace Petter Hansson, the former captain, transferred to Monaco in June 2010. Expected to complete the club’s central defence alongside Kader Mangane, his integration to the team was slowed down by a persistent knee injury.

Trained at Montpellier, Johann Carrasso was accessory in the club’s promotion to Ligue 1 during the 2008-2009 season. However, a bad injury during the season’s final game made him lose his place in the first team. He subsequently had to go back through a long re-education process, and was mainly left to play with the Reserve team. In summer 2010, he joined the Stade Rennais as Nicolas Douchez’ substitute. A very talented and ambitious second choice, he certainly is the club’s future at the goalkeeper position.

As a physical defensive midfielder, Jimmy Nirlo signed his first professional contract with Stade Rennais. Arrived in July 2006 from his native Franche-Comte, Nirlo has progressively and seriously improved his skills with the reserve team. After winning the French championship of reserve teams with Rennes in May 2007, he signed a professional contract in 2008. After 6 months and no appearances with the first team, he is released by Stade Rennais and signed up with a Greek second-division club.

Regularly used during the 2003-2004 season, Cedric Barbosa suffered a serious injury during a friendly game in August 2004. After months without playing, the former Montpellier player struggled after his injury and spent most of the 2005-2006 season on the bench or with the reserve team. At the end of his contract last June, Cedric had difficulties to find a club. Finally the player aroused the interest of Troyes managers and signed a one-year deal with them.

A 2003 Gambardella Cup winner along the likes of Gourcuff, Faty or Briand, Arthur Sorin was awarded a first one-year professional contract in 2005. Loaned to Vannes OC, then in the French 3rd division, Arthur earns playtime but fails to gain the staff’s confidence. Back from his loan, Sorin joins the Reserve and plays a few games only, while searching for a new club. In Januray 2007, he signed a two year contract for Swedish club Kalmar FF, before being recruited by Danish side Aarhus.

Trained in Laval, Djimi Traoré was soon recruited in Liverpool by Gerard Houiller, who placed high expectations on the left back. Despite the several trophies earned in England, especially the 2005 Champions League, Traoré never really managed to find his place in the team, and had to look for new horizons, in Charlton first, then Portsmouth. Looking for a substitute to departing Erik Edman, Rennes recruited him during the 2008 winter transfer window to cover the left back position. Arrived on a loan, he failed to convince the staff and returned to Portsmouth at the term of his loan.

Alain Rochat arrived in Brittany in June 2005. Despite promising performances with the U21 Switzerland team, of which he was the captain, the young Swiss-Canadian player started his “Rouge et Noir” career in the most catastrophic manner, notoriously blaming himself for the rout against Nancy (6-0) early that season. Afterwards, he mainly played with the Reserve Team. Failing to get into Pierre Dréossi’s tactics too, he was loaned and eventually transferred to FC Zurich, back in Swiss first division.

Loaned to Rennes during the 2005 summer, Laszlo Sepsi, a U21 Romanian international, joined his fellow national Laszlo Bölöni at the club. Mostly playing with the Reserve, despite a few appearances with the professional squad, he displayed good technical skills and a resolutely offensive spirit, but also a sometimes hazardous positioning on the pitch. After Bölöni’s departure to AS Monaco, Sepsi wasn’t kept by the club, and went back to his country to play with Gloria Bistriţa, a Romanian first division team. A year and a half later, he was recruited by the prestigious Benfica Lisbon, and received his first call-up to the Romanian national team. However, he had very little chance to play in Portugal and was loaned to Santander, Spain, six months later, where he played 24 games but wasn’t kept in the team. In January 2010, Romanian club Timişoara FC offered 1.5 million euros to Benfica to recruit the player.