Stade are willing to fight for Gustard

STADE Francais' billionaire owner hinted last week that head coach Paul Gustard's reported move to Leicester may not be quite as cut-and-dried as sections of the British press have suggested.

- JAMES HARRINGTON

In a lengthy and wide-ranging interview with L'Equipe, Capri-Sun king Hans-Peter Wild said he had, 'heard the rumours' concerning Gustard's return to his former playing haunt - but made it perfectly clear that he's willing to fight to keep him at Stade Jean Bouin.

"If [Gustard] has to take this opportunity [to coach Leicester], I would understand it, but I hope he stays," he said. "He is under contract [through to 2026] and we do not want to let him go."

The Stade boss - who's not-so-secretly looking for business partners for the club - said that, with the benefit of hindsight, he should have appointed Gustard to the top job in the first place, rather than bringing in Labit and Ghezal.

Gustard, who had been in charge for the early rounds of the 2023/24 campaign before the duo from the national squad arrived after the World Cup, was named head coach when Karim Ghezal left the club last October. But was only handed overall control of the senior squad a fortnight ago, when sporting director Laurent Labit took a step back from first-team affairs ahead of an earlier-than-planned departure.

One match isn't enough to judge a midseason coaching change - in Stade's case, a second midseason coaching change - but Gustard's rapidly implemented Operation Survival started well enough, with a much-needed victory over fellow crisis club La Rochelle.

He now has two weeks left of the three-week international window to do some tactical tinkering and mental strengthening before the season enters its final straight when Bayonne head to Paris on March 22.

Stade, meanwhile, with blood in the managerial office floors ankle deep, clearly hope they can persuade him to stay beyond June. Coaching certainty of any description would give the club at least some breathing space.