Ligue 1 I 8th day: After the humiliation against OM (0-5), Michel Der Zakarian is no longer the coach of Montpellier

It was President Laurent Nicollin who announced the news himself, at the microphone of DAZNjust a few minutes after the final whistle: “Unfortunately, I took the initiative to stop Michel (Der Zakarian) this evening (Sunday). I went to see him, we talked in the locker room at the end of the match and I told him that it was okay. stopped this evening Then I went to see the players to tell them that thanks to their great work, they had blown up a coach this evening (Sunday).”explained the son of Louis Nicollin.

“Now it’s up to them to take their responsibilities from Sunday against Toulousecontinued Laurent Nicollin. I blame people when they don’t give what they need. Maybe I’m not giving what’s needed, maybe the coach wasn’t giving what’s needed, nor are the players, now everyone has to give what’s needed. Sunday is our championship and we absolutely have to win against Toulouse to boost everyone, because otherwise we’re going straight there (in Ligue 2, Editor’s note)”said the president of the club crowned champion of France 12 years ago.

A decision precipitated by the scale of the rout experienced against Marseille, explained Nicollin, whose club, the worst defense in the elite, suffered a 6th defeat in 8 days of the championship: “In my head, I had planned to wait for Toulouse, but given the result this evening, the lack of desire, given what the players gave… I said to myself that we had to stop”.

The Montpellier leader indicated that he had, at this time, no idea in mind regarding the identity of Der Zakarian’s successor, who returned to La Paillade at the start of last season after a first stint from 2017 to 2021. “I didn’t anticipate or plan, we’re going to need someone who wants to get their hands dirty and recover a team in difficulty, it’s never easy, so we’re going to try to find someone who is close of our DNA, ready to challenge and fight”Nicollin concluded.