Reserves & Academy

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 become a permanent fixture within Laurent Huard’s reserve team.

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 nonetheless.

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.

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 target appearances in the first team.

The son of Michel and the brother of Arthur, Elliot continues the Sorin family’s tradition by wearing the wearing shirt from his younger age. Aged 6, he signed his first licence in Rennes and went on step by step to join the Academy and sign a trainee contract. A centre midfielder, with a good impact at ball recovery despite a modest physical build, Sorin signed an intern contract in April 2011, a few months after he played his first game with the Reserve under Laurent Huard’s management. From now on, he has got two seasons to make himself a place with the Reserve and disturb the existing hierarchy in his sector of the squad.

Just as Yacine Brahimi, Axel Ngando went through the youth teams at Paris Saint-Germain before he joined the Stade Rennais in June 2007. He started playing for the club in the U14 Federal division (now known as U15 Elite), before improving gradually but steadily. An attack-minded midfielder, the youngster has impressed with his technical ability and the elegance of his attacking play. April 2011 will certainly remain an important date in his memory, since he received the award of the “best player of the Academy”, played with the Reserve in CFA for the first time and signed an intern contract with the club. In 2011-2012, Ngando is a player Laurent Huard is expecting to rely on, in his bid to return to the CFA division straight away after the relegation.

A tough and technically gifted midfielder, Abdoulaye Doucouré is a member of the promising 1993 generation from the Academy. Arrived in Rennes aged fourteen, he soon emerged as one of the club’s best prospects, also making his way into the French youth national teams. At the beginning of the 2010-2011 season, he earned several appearances with the Reserve in CFA, but a bad injury spoiled the rest of his year. As a proof of the huge confidence Stade Rennes has put in him, this didn’t prevent him from turning professional as soon as summer 2011.

A Benin-born defensive midfielder, Mathieu Adeniyi never really managed to become a regular with the Reserve during his first spell in Rennes, between 2005 and 2007. He then left the club in June 2007 to join La Vitréenne, before returning to Stade Rennais 3 years later, in Summer 2010. During this season, he played mostly with the third Stade Rennais team, although he was called-up to the CFA team in several occasion to cover for absentees.