French Star Kylian Mbappé, Majority Shareholder of Struggling Ligue 2 Club Caen, Meets New Coach
Kylian Mbappé, the French football superstar and majority shareholder of Ligue 2 strugglers SM Caen, has met with the club’s newly appointed coach, Michel Der Zakarian.
On Thursday, Mbappé, who currently plays for Real Madrid, visited Caen and met with the players, administrative staff, and Der Zakarian, confirming reports from several media outlets.
Mbappé’s visit came shortly after the dismissal of Portuguese coach Bruno Baltazar, who had arrived in December 2022. Baltazar was replaced by Der Zakarian, a former coach of Nantes, Brest, and Montpellier, who was unveiled to the press on the same day.
Caen, based in Normandy, has officially appointed "Der Zak" until October as part of their mission to revitalize the team and secure their status in Ligue 2.
During Baltazar’s seven matches in charge, Stade Malherbe failed to earn a single point and scored only one goal. This poor run of form saw them plummet to the bottom of the table after defeats to fellow relegation-threatened sides Clermont, Ajaccio, and Troyes.
With just 15 points to their name, Caen finds themselves 10 points adrift of Clermont, who occupy the relegation play-off spot, and 11 points behind Red Star, the first team outside the relegation zone.
Der Zakarian’s Mission: Save Caen from Relegation
Der Zakarian, a highly experienced coach, has been tasked with the challenging mission of salvaging Caen’s season and preventing them from dropping into the third tier of French football. His immediate focus will be on improving the team’s performance and instilling a winning mentality.
Caen’s perilous position in the league standings demands a swift turnaround in results, and Der Zakarian will be expected to make a positive impact on the pitch as soon as possible.
Mbappé’s presence at the club, despite his commitments with Real Madrid, is seen as a sign of his commitment to Caen. As a majority shareholder, he is keen to see the club succeed and will be hoping that Der Zakarian can guide them to safety.
The club’s fans will be eagerly awaiting Der Zakarian’s first match in charge, which will be against Niort on Saturday. A positive result could provide a much-needed boost to morale and ignite hopes of a successful fight against relegation.
