RC Strasbourg returned to the training pitch on Wednesday without a manager in place following the unexpected departure of Gary O'Neil. According to L'Equipe, the club management was left stunned in mid-June when the English coach expressed his desire to leave for Ipswich Town, despite having actively planned for the upcoming Ligue 1 season alongside club officials.
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Subscribe Sekarang →Faced with replacing two English managers within six months after Liam Rosenior's prior exit, President Marc Keller and Sporting Director David Weir have chosen a cautious approach. Based on club developments, leadership is taking extra time to secure a long-term candidate before the squad heads to Faro, Portugal, for their summer training camp on July 19.
The managerial search has narrowed down to a direct duel between two prominent names. Reports indicate that French manager Wilfried Nancy, who is currently free following his departure from Celtic Glasgow, met with Strasbourg executives in the United States. He is competing against 57-year-old Norwegian coach Kjetil Knutsen, although Knutsen's ongoing contract with Bodø/Glimt and lack of French fluency present potential hurdles.
From editorial monitoring, the recent restructuring at Strasbourg extends beyond the head coaching role. Technical director Pascal de Maesschalk recently departed to lead Arsenal's youth academy, while assistant coach Filipe Coelho left to manage Portuguese side Casa Pia, paving the way for an incoming manager to bring in an expanded backroom staff.
Despite the coaching void, the Alsatian club has already begun reshaping its squad for the upcoming campaign. RC Strasbourg has secured three summer signings—Polish goalkeeper Milosz Piekutowski, along with midfielders Diogo Sousa and Benjamin Brantlind—with Argentine left-back Mateo Del Blanco expected to complete his move shortly.