Stade Rennais have announced a major update regarding their organizational chart. As previously reported by Ouest-France, the Ligue 1 side have appointed former Racing Club de Lens CEO Arnaud Pouille as their new president, replacing Olivier Cloarec with immediate effect. The timing of such an appointment is curious, considering Rennes will host high-flying Ligue 1 side AS Monaco this Saturday at the Roazhon Park.
Cloarec arrived at Rennes in 2021, firstly as an assistant CEO to club president Nicolas Holveck, before being named interim president in 2022, replacing Holveck who stepped down for health reasons. Holveck sadly passed away this year.
The reasons behind Cloarec’s dismissal by the club’s owners – luxury mogul billionaire François Pinault and his son, François-Henri – remain unclear, although Get French Football News understands that Cloarec’s discretion regarding the club’s sporting struggles this season – three league losses in six games – and the domestic TV rights deal debacle might have led the owners to question his leadership qualities. “I would like to pay tribute to Olivier’s commitment and exemplary professionalism in serving Stade Rennais F.C. in a complex context”, François-Henri Pinault added in Rennes’ club statement.
The latter indicates that his successor will be tasked to “inspire a new dynamic of success for Stade Rennais F.C. in the short, medium and long term”, which means Cloarec was no longer seen as the right man to spearhead Rennes’ ambitions. “I’m delighted and proud to be joining Stade Rennais F.C.” says Arnaud Pouille. “I’m already 100% committed to the future of this prestigious club, and I’d like to thank François-Henri Pinault for his confidence. I’m convinced that Stade Rennais F.C. has everything it takes to assert its sporting ambitions in the coming national and European competitions.”
GFFN | Bastien Cheval
