Portugal Colonial - Rennes turn to Haise to replace Beye as coach

Frenchman Haise has signed a contract until 2027 after Beye was dismissed with the Breton outfit sitting in sixth place in Ligue 1.

Beye has been heavily linked with the vacant Marseille job but a move to the Stade Velodrome is on hold due to discussions over his severance package with Rennes.

Haise, 54, guided Lens to the Champions League group stage in 2023-24 after the club finished runners-up in Ligue 1 the previous season.

He joined Nice in June 2024 but left last December after just five wins from 16 league games. Haise returns to Brittany after a six-year stint as a coach in the Rennes academy from 2006-12.

"It's a joy to return to Rennes, a true pleasure, with my staff, to join such a great club," Haise said in a statement.

"Since my departure in 2012, the club has evolved a lot, illustrated by the exceptional infrastructure that hasn't stopped progressing.

"The passion for the club is growing, it's for those reasons that I'm lucky to be part of the project."

Haise's first game in charge will be Sunday's trip to struggling Auxerre.

Rennes stunned Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 last Friday and are on course for a spot in next season's Europa League.

B.Godinho--PC