A month and a half after winning their first French Cup title in 66 years, Toulouse announced on Wednesday the sacking of coach Philippe Montanier, who will be replaced by his assistant, Spaniard Carles Martínez Novell.
Club president Damien Comolli, a trusted man at the American investment fund RedBird, owner of Toulouse since 2020, had already hinted at Montanier’s departure when he admitted his “frustration” at seeing the team finish the French Championship in 13th position.
“We started with a higher objective. All indicators told us that we had a team to finish 10th or 11th. It is the first time since we are at the club that we did not reach the objective”, stated the director.
𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞́
Carles Martinez Novell appointed coach of the professional team of TéFéCé.#StillStanding 😈 pic.twitter.com/t1GRKByPgg
— Toulouse FC (@ToulouseFC) June 14, 2023
Such declarations were surprising, as Toulouse had risen from the second division the previous season and remained in the elite without problems, in addition to having won their first Coupe de France since 1957.
Montanier will be replaced by Martínez Novell, a coach until now practically unknown, who arrived at the club in December last year, after having worked at the base of Barcelona and Al-Rayyan, from Qatar.
“His tactical knowledge and his training methods contributed to developing our game identity and strengthening our collective”, justified Comolli.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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