Franck Haise is no stranger to Rennes, having spent six years as an academy coach. Haise’s understanding of the club could be their new superpower.
| Ligue 1 Top 3 Finish Market | Odds |
|---|---|
| Marseille | 1/1 |
| Stade Rennes | 50/1 |
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
New beginnings for Stade Rennes under Haise
Haise’s appointment is a great chance for Rennes to hit the reset button on their Ligue 1 campaign. With Habib Beye leaving under a bit of a cloud, including reported fallouts with senior players, Haise’s arrival should act as a unifying force for change.
It’s ironic that Lens are the main rivals to PSG for the Ligue 1 title this season. It was under Haise that Lens last clinched a remarkable second-place finish in 2023. Haise has proven time and again that he can overachieve using his well-drilled 3-4-2-1 system.
Rennes’ home form has been rock-solid, earning 1.91 points per game in front of their own fans. It’s their form on the road that’s left a lot to be desired. They’ve shipped more than two goals per away game, averaging 1.18 points per game.
Haise showed tactical flexibility during his managerial reign at OGC Nice. That should come in useful with Rennes. His pragmatism helped Nice to better control areas of the pitch, not just control the ball.
Although Nice dispensed with Haise’s services quicker than expected, Nice’s loss should be Rennes’ gain.
However, it remains to be seen how quickly Haise can get his system and intricate style across to this group of players mid-season. There are some doubts in the local media as to whether Rennes’ players have the attributes to make Haise’s system work.
Nevertheless, provided that Haise can shrug off the disappointment of his sacking from Nice, Rennes should have a strong end to 2025/26.
Haise starts his tenure at Stade Rennes with a favourable run of fixtures. They travel to third-bottom Auxerre before hosting tenth-placed Toulouse.
These two good fixtures could help build some early momentum. Six points from these games, and their chances of a top-3 finish will be much higher than their current 1.49% probability.
Will Marseille’s former skipper command instant respect?
A three-game winless streak cost Roberto De Zerbi his job at Marseille. The fiery Italian has left Olympique de Marseille five points adrift of the top three and 12 points shy of leaders Lens.
Scoring goals hasn’t been an issue for Marseille this season. They are Ligue 1’s second-highest scorers behind PSG. However, they’ve conceded more than any side in the top four. In fact, they’ve shipped only six fewer than Rennes, who are six points beneath them with 12 games to play.
Habib Beye, who led Marseille for four seasons in the early 2000s, has been named De Zerbi’s replacement. The club pointed to his “deep attachment” and “intimate knowledge” of Olympique de Marseille.
Beye has a history of steering teams out of relative crises. At Rennes, he arrived last year and steered them away from relegation trouble. He’s comfortable with walking into tough situations and making big calls. That is why his reputation with senior players in the Rennes squad proved fragile.
Beye’s arrival has also ensured sporting director Medhi Benatia will remain at the helm. Beye was Benatia’s only choice, so the structural alignment from the dugout to the boardroom should give OM some stability.
The biggest question mark for Beye and OM between now and May is tactics. Beye isn’t known for being a tactical obsessive like De Zerbi. Beye favours man management and motivation over systems, which marks a big shift in on-pitch philosophy.
The jury is out as to whether De Zerbi’s carefully recruited squad can adapt to Beye’s more direct and physical demands.
Beye’s first home game is against Lyon, which gives him time to prepare a side that could reignite OM’s top-three hopes. It may be wise to hold off backing Marseille until we see how Beye sets up the team and how they fare against Lyon.