Laurent Nicollin fired his coach Michel Der Zakarian this Sunday evening, just after the heavy defeat against OM, at La Mosson, during the eighth day of L1.
The ax has fallen. Michel Der Zakarian is no longer the coach of Montpellier. It was the president of the Hérault club, Laurent Nicollin, who announced it just a few minutes after the 5-0 defeat conceded by his team against Marseille. “I terminated the functions of Michel Der Zakarian this evening. He is no longer the first team coach. Given the performance and attitudes this evening, I felt obliged to intervene”Nicollin said during a brief press conference. After eight days, Montpellier is 18th and last in the French championship standings with only four points – as many as 17th, Angers – and a goal difference of -18.
Aged 61, Michel Der Zakarian studied in Nantes before ending his playing career in Montpellier, from 1988 to 1997. It was there that he began his second life as a coach, serving as an assistant. He put on the number 1 costume in Nantes, before coaching Clermont and Reims. The native of Yerevan returned home to Montpellier in 2017. Four years of good and loyal service before a short experience in Brest. He was called to the rescue again by President Nicollin in February 2023. In total, “Der Zak” coached the MHSC 262 times. The name of his successor is not known.
