After finishing third in the Championnat National with Paris suburban side Red Star FC, narrowly missing promotion to Ligue 2, it seems that manager and former Marseille captain Habib Beye will be making a move to the next level next season.
Le Parisien today confirmed initial reporting from Thomas Gucciardi that Beye could be set to leave the club. The former Marseille and Newcastle defender is reportedly eyeing a move to Ligue 2, with Gucciardi reporting that Red Star’s rivals Paris FC are interested. Meanwhile, Le Parisien report that Sochaux is his most likely destination, with Amiens also interested.
Red Star missed out on promotion on the final day of the third tier season against Stade Briochin despite a 2-0 victory. It capped off an ‘almost’ season for Beye and his side, after an exhausting race to promotion lead them only two points of their promotion objective.
“I lost five finals as a player in my career and you deal with that individually,” Beye said during his last press conference attended to by GFFN’s George Boxall, “What I experienced tonight I don’t wish on anyone. Because it’s not my failure or my disappointment – it’s the whole club. You have people in the club who have worked year after year, and you see the objective was 2 points away.”
“As a coach you need to know how to drain these emotions. Because we take on all the club’s emotions but we need a moment to deal with them. So, I’m not thinking ahead to next season yet.”
While Beye has succeeded with a youthful team and implemented an attractive style of play since his appointment as head coach in September 2021, his career aspirations naturally lead him to seek opportunities in Ligue 1 or Ligue 2.
Last winter, Ligue 1 Brest had already considered Beye, but he opted to finish the season with Red Star. As the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 seasons come to a close, several clubs have expressed interest in him, including Sochaux. Amiens and Paris FC, in search of a successor to Thierry Laurey, are also said to be evaluating Beye’s profile.
If Beye indeed departs, Red Star would reportedly be keen to promote a local coach, Fabien Valéri (48 years old). Valéri, who led Paris 13 Atletico to promotion to the National league last season, has had a successful campaign with Chambly, finishing second in Group A of the National 2 league. He recently obtained the necessary BEPF diploma to coach at the National level.
Valéri had previously played for Red Star from 1992 to 2000, where he trained and played alongside former Fulham and Marseille man Steve Marlet (the current presidential advisor). He has also been frequently spotted at Stade Bauer throughout the season and was present during the match against Saint-Brieuc.
Valéri, who shares the same agents as Habib Beye, has one more year left on his contract with Chambly, but the club has given him until the end of the week to make a decision. Chambly’s president, Fulvio Luzi, stated that they are willing to release Valéri if their “interests are respected.”
While Valéri appears to be the preferred choice of the Red Star management, the American owners of 777 Partners will have a say in the matter and may consider other options. The name of Karim Mokeddem, an experienced coach at this level with stints at Lyon-Duchère, Bourg-en-Bresse, and as assistant at Châteauroux, has also been mentioned.
GFFN | George Boxall
Photo Credit: Bazil Fleury – @icietailleurs55 on Instagram.