Samba Diawara Appointed Stade de Reims Head Coach on Long-Term Contract
Stade de Reims has appointed Samba Diawara as their permanent head coach on a "very long-term" contract, the club’s general manager Mathieu Lacour announced at a press conference.
Diawara had been serving as interim coach since the departure of Franco-Slovenian Luka Elsner on February 3. The duration of his new contract was not specified by Lacour, but he affirmed that Diawara would remain in his position at the end of the season "no matter what."
"Our discussions on Monday and Tuesday… began with a common understanding, a very clear position on our side, as a club, and on Samba (Diawara)’s side as well: it was about launching a collaboration over the very long term, with Samba at the head of the first team," Lacour explained. "When I say very long term, it’s not an interim… until the end of the season. Samba remains the coach of the professional team and, once again, with a long-term vision of the role and a collaboration together."
Diawara’s Mission: Steering Reims Away from Relegation
Diawara’s primary task will be to revive a Stade de Reims side that has plummeted in Ligue 1, with eleven consecutive games without a victory dropping them to 14th place (22 points), just four points above Saint-Étienne, the first relegation candidate.
This poor run of form ultimately led to the departure of Luka Elsner, who had only been appointed as head coach last summer.
Reims’ next challenge will be an away match against Rennes on Friday (8:45 PM) to open the 23rd matchday of the championship.
Diawara’s Background and Coaching Philosophy
Diawara has been involved with Stade de Reims since 2019, initially as a scout before becoming an assistant coach in the summer of 2022. He holds a UEFA Pro coaching license and is known for his emphasis on possession-based attacking football.
"Samba has a very clear vision of the game," Lacour said. "He wants his teams to have a control over the possession, to have possession in the opponent’s half, to be able to create chances and score goals."
Long-Term Vision for Reims
Lacour emphasized the club’s long-term commitment to Diawara, expressing confidence in his ability to guide Stade de Reims back to success.
"We are convinced that Samba is the right person to lead our project," Lacour said. "He is a young coach, he is ambitious, he has a very clear vision of the game, and he is also very close to the players."
"We believe that he is the right person to lead our team to success in the long term," Lacour concluded.
Stade de Reims’ upcoming match against Rennes will be Diawara’s first official match as permanent head coach. It will be a crucial test for both the new coach and the team, as they look to break out of their current slump and return to winning ways.
