- Fabrice Catherine
- Aurélien Hérisson
- Andreas Isaksson
- Patrice Luzi
- Florent Petit
- Simon Pouplin
- Christophe Revault
- Lucien Aubey
- Adailton
- Carlos Bocanegra
- Guillaume Borne
- Grégory Bourillon
- Amadou Coulibaly
- Elderson Uwa Echiejile
- Erik Edman
- Rod Fanni
- Jacques Faty
- Petter Hansson
- Maxime Le Marchand
- Gilbert Manier
- John Mensah
- Mario Melchiot
- Prince Oniangue
- Abdeslam Ouaddou
- Jean-Joël Perrier-Doumbé
- Yoann Pivaty
- Alain Rochat
- Laszlo Sepsi
- Arthur Sorin
- Djimi Traoré
- Cédric Barbosa
- Bruno Cheyrou
- Étienne Didot
- Papakouli Diop
- Yoann Gourcuff
- Junichi Inamoto
- Cyril Jeunechamp
- Kim Källström
- Felix Katongo
- Stéphane Mbia
- Arnold Mvuemba
- Jimmy Nirlo
- Olivier Sorlin
- Ismaël Bangoura
- Jimmy Briand
- Emerson
- Julian Esteban
- Alexander Frei
- Asamoah Gyan
- Youssouf Hadji
- Yohann Lasimant
- Damien Le Tallec
- Hicham M’Laab
- Olivier Monterrubio
- Benjamin Moukandjo
- Daniel Moreira
- Stéphane N’Guéma
- Mickaël Pagis
- Moussa Sow
- Olivier Thomert
- John Utaka
- Sylvain Wiltord
- André Amitrano
- Laszlo Bölöni
- Landry Chauvin
- Guy Lacombe
- Christophe Lollichon
- Alain Ravera
- Philippe Redon
- Joaquim Rolao Preto
- Christian Schmidt
- Michel Sorin
Alain Rochat arrived in Brittany in June 2005. Despite promising performances with the U21 Switzerland team, of which he was the captain, the young Swiss-Canadian player started his “Rouge et Noir” career in the most catastrophic manner, notoriously blaming himself for the rout against Nancy (6-0) early that season. Afterwards, he mainly played with the Reserve Team. Failing to get into Pierre Dréossi’s tactics too, he was loaned and eventually transferred to FC Zurich, back in Swiss first (…)
Loaned to Rennes during the 2005 summer, Laszlo Sepsi, a U21 Romanian international, joined his fellow national Laszlo Bölöni at the club. Mostly playing with the Reserve, despite a few appearances with the professional squad, he displayed good technical skills and a resolutely offensive spirit, but also a sometimes hazardous positioning on the pitch. After Bölöni’s departure to AS Monaco, Sepsi wasn’t kept by the club, and went back to his country to play with Gloria Bistriţa, a Romanian (…)
Lacking competition in Auxerre, the Cameroon international decided to look for a news challenge with the “Rouge et Noir”. Often criticized by the fans, Perrier-Doumbé struggled to offer regular high level performances. Unfortunately for him, he got injured just as his performances started to improve, and he even lost his place in the starting eleven to the benefit of another Cameroon player: Stéphane M’Bia. However, he came back well to be one of the best men in the team in 2006. At Mario (…)
Trained at the Le Havre Academy after a spell at Paris FC, the Paris-born goalkeeper spends four seasons in Normandy, in the shadows of Alexander Vencel, the Slovakian international, without playing a single game with the first team. _Finally loaned to Chateauroux, Douchez seizes the opportunity to accumulate games and experience in Ligue 2. Scouted by Toulouse, he then joins the “Pink City” for a first season as a substitute to Christophe Revault. On his second season, he reveals himself (…)
Trained at the AS Monaco academy, Patrice Luzi had a rather original career. He signed for Liverpool, aged 22, having played only one League 1 game, but would not know a better fortune than with England, with one Premier League game in three years. He then tried his luck in Belgium and had two good seasons under the colours of Mouscron and Charleroi. In June 2007, he was recruited by the Stade Rennais to act as substitute to Simon Pouplin. Soon, he profited of Pouplin’s poor form and (…)
Young goalkeeper from the Rennes Academy, Florent Petit signed his first professional contract with the club in July 2009. First choice keeper of the brilliant generation that won the 2008 Gambardella Cup, Florent Petit had managed not to go through the whole competition without conceding a single goal. Remaining in the shadow of Nicolas Douchez, and pushed out by the competition of Carasso and Diallo, he left the club in June 2010.
United States’ Bocanegra is a polyvalent defender, capable to play as a left or centre back, arrived in Brittany to bring his experience to the Rennes squad. Born in Upland, California, he rapidly caught the public eye with his performances in Major League Soccer, from his first season with Chicago. Recruited by Fulham, he spent the following five years in thePremier League, playing over a hundred games. Released by the London club, he then decided to move to Brittany. Captain of the USA (…)
Recruited after a trial in August 2007, Elderson Echiejiele had already been spotted by the Rennes scouts during the Junior World Cup, a couple of months earlier. Originally a forward and having progressively evolved to become a left full back, Echiejiele kept his attacking abilities but he had to get used to the European style of playing. Therefore, he had to spend time with the reserves team before having a chance to star in Ligue 1. His first professional appearance eventually came in (…)
Continuing the recent tradition of Swedish internationals in Rennes, Petter Hansson arrived in Brittany in June 2007, at the end of his contract with Heerenveen. Powerful, dominant in the air and gifted with a strong shooting ability, he often encountered critics for his lack of speed. However, he soon became a cornerstone of the Stade Rennais, becoming the team's captain in 2008. In June 2010, at the end of his contract with Rennes, he joined Monaco and former manager Guy Lacombe.
A very physical and technically skilled attacking midfielder, Jérôme Leroy had a travel-rich football career. From Paris to Sochaux, calling at Guingamp, Lens or Jerusalem, he had a strong career, marked by a few gut reactions which gave him the image of a temperamental player, sometimes criticized for his instability. After having terminated his contract with Sochaux, despite having realised a very good season crowned with a Coupe de France success, Jérôme Leroy signed in Rennes for the (…)
Born in Congo, Lucien Aubey grew up in the Île-de-France (Greater Paris) region. After a short spell at the Paris FC, he did most of his training in Cannes. In 2001, he was recruited by Toulouse, relegated in National (3rd division) on administrative grounds. In Toulouse, Aubey took part on a continuous accession from 3rd division to 3rd place in Ligue 1. Recruited by Lens in 2007, the strong, very physical defender had a hard time in the North of France, first being hit by a nasty injury (…)
Technical ability and vision, these are the qualities that best sum up Kévin Bru. Younger brother of Jonathan, also trained in Rennes and Gambardella Cup winner in 2003, Kévin Bru had his first taste of professional football in January 2007. An essential element of the Reserves, he signed his first professional contract with Rennes within the same month. However, he didn’t have the chance for more first-team football and was loaned a year later to Chateauroux, and then to Clermont (both (…)
Recruited in Summer 2006, Bruno Cheyrou wasn’t unanimously welcomed in Rennes. However, after a difficult start, he imposed himself as a leader in the midfield. Very technical, left footed, he is at his best in central position, either just ahead of the defensive line or right behind the forwards. The former Liverpool man had a difficult second season, Guy Lacombe even trying him as a Centre Back, with little success. His 2008-2009 season was more successful, even though he didn’t manage to (…)
Junichi Inamoto was the first Japanese player to sign for the Stade Rennais. With 70 international caps to his name, he played in the 2002 (Japan) and 2006 (Germany) World Cups. After starting his career at Gamba Osaka, he came to England in 2001, but never really managed to break into the Premier League. After a short spell at Galatasaray (Turkey), he spent two years in Frankfurt (Germany). After his contract expired, he signed for Rennes in June 2009, with the aim of making it to a first (…)
Ismaël Bangoura arrived in Summer 2009 to reinforce Rennes forward line. An explosive, very quick and skilled striker, he signed from Dynamo Kiev for a fee of 11M€. Very familiar with the French leagues, he had played for the Gazelec Ajaccio in the third League, before signing for Le Mans, then a newcomer in Ligue 1. In Le Mans, Bangoura proves himself a highly valuable player, and attract many interests. In 2007, the Dynamo Kiev is eventually obtaining his transfer and attracts the player (…)
Trained at Rennes’ Academy, Jimmy Briand has all the qualities of a modern striker. His pace and his explosive power are amongst the qualities that seduced all of his coaches so far. However, Jimmy struggled to impose himself as a regular starter for the club. For three years, he remained a substitute to strikers such as Frei and Utaka. In 2006-2007, eventually, he became one of Rennes’ main offensive weapons. Since then, he impressed by his power and fighting spirit on the front of (…)
Observed for 2 years by the Stade Rennais, Asamoah Gyan arrived in Brittany in July 2008. The Ghanaian international player (who scored the first ever goal for Ghana in a World Cup, in 2006) had signed for Udinese Calcio (Italy) in 2003, and was loaned to Modena the following year. He spent 2 years there, scoring 15 goals in 52 Serie B games. Back to Udinese, Gyan scored 10 goals in 31 games, but his final season was plagued by a nasty injury. Recruited by Rennes, he spent most of his first (…)
Winner of the Best Player award in the Junior African Nations Cup in January 2007, Fabrice N'Guessi arrived in Rennes the following summer, aiming to impress with his technical and physical skills, but also with his goalscoring ability. At the end of a rather average season with the Reserves, learning the ways of European football, he was loaned to Créteil to keep on learning, make his mark in the third division team and maybe brighten his future with Rennes. Unfortunately, his loan spell (…)
This experienced striker broke onto the main stage only late in his career, playing his first Ligue 1 game when he was already 28 years old. Before that, he had spent several years between the Ligue 2 and National championship, continuously showing his goal scoring ability. Recruited by Sochaux, he soon become a valuable Ligue 1 player and was highly esteemed by the fans and managers alike, as he was later in Strasbourg and Marseille. In 2007, he joined Rennes and brought his experience (…)
Let on the side of the first team for many seasons, Moussa Sow had a rather discrete start to his professional career, only showing glimpses of his talent during three seasons. A rather positive loan experience in Sedan (Ligue 2), in 2007/2008, allowed him to gain some useful playtime and score a few goals, and his return to Rennes was marked by a renewed goal-scoring ability. Often decisive, Moussa Sow was one of the biggest satisfactions of the 2008-2009 season, and the striker was (…)
Recruited during the 2007 winter transfer window, Olivier Thomert had the heavy mission to replace Olivier Monterrubio on the left wing of Rennes’s squad. Often disliked by a fair share of Rennes Supporters, who criticized his nonchalance and his limited technical ability, Olivier Thomert eventually managed to impose his very athletic presence on the starting eleven. Even though he couldn’t compare to the elegance and technical skills of “Rubio”, the former Lens player had the ability to be (…)
After Marco Grassi and Alexander Frei, another striker came from Switzerland in December 2006. Julian Esteban, a young and talented striker from Servette Geneve, seemed a bright prospect for the Stade Rennais. Targeted by a number of clubs, Esteban, of Spanish ascent, decided to join Rennes to continue learning. Unfortunately, his first years in Rennes were spoilt by repetitive injuries, preventing him to prove his talent. In July 2009, he was loaned to his first club to try and manage (…)
A very rangy defender, Bira Dembélé worked his way through the Stade Rennais’ youth team. Excellent in the air, thanks to his height and an impressive jumping ability, Dembélé still needs to improve his game with the ball. Pairing with Prince Oniangue to compose a highly efficient central defense with the Reserves, Bira Dembélé took profit of numerous injuries in the professional squad to play his first games in Ligue 1, in January 2008. His performances were good enough to convince the (…)
A forward born in Franche-Comté, Yoann Lasimant joined Rennes’ Academy rather late, aged nearly 17 years. He took profit of his first two seasons to make his way as a first choice in attack, both in the U18 and CFA squad. A winner in the 2008 Gambardella Cup, he was called in the professional squad by Guy Lacombe for the first time, for a game in Nancy. At the end of the 2008-2009 season, he signed his first professional contract, and was soon loaned to Sedan, in order to win playing time (…)
Born in Saint Malo, Maxime Le Marchand has been playing for the Stade Rennais for many years. A left midfielder converted into a left fullback, his progress was slowed down by several bad injuries. This didn’t prevent him to be in the 2008 Gambardella Cup winning squad and become U18 France champion. After signing his initial professional contract, he was loaned to Le Havre for the 2009-2010 Ligue 2 season. His composure and his technical skills helped him to become a regular in the first (…)
Announced as a «Sporting Gamble» by Frédéric de Saint-Sernin, Emerson’s experience in the French League turned a real disaster. Virtually unknown in Europe, the Brazilian striker had been terrorising defences in Japan and Qatar, scoring impressive numbers of goals throughout his career. Aged 28, he arrived in France to try and prove his value in a club where Brazilians had never managed to find success. Emerson was not to be the one. Joining a squad with high attacking potential, he never (…)
A 2003 Gambardella Cup winner, Stéphane N’Guema’s early career was plagued by numerous injuries. A really unfortunate situation, as the youngster had been the good surprise of the early 2003-2004 season. He then experienced real difficulties to come back to his best and the professional team, only grabbing rare appearances for three seasons At the end of a perfectly blank 2006-2007 season, he was released on a free transfer and signed a contract with Istres, then playing in National (3rd (…)
Arrived in Rennes during the 2003 winter transfer window, Alexander Frei took some time to find his marks under Vahid Halilhodzic’s management, scoring only one goal in 13 games. However, once launched by Laszlo Bölöni, on a League Cup evening in Auxerre, the Swiss international could not stop scoring, netting 41 goals in two seasons, even becoming Ligue 1’s top goal scorer in the 2004-2005 season. Targeted by the Borussia Dormund for several seasons, and despite a last season plagued by (…)
Presented as a future great striker, even labelled the “new Samuel Eto’o”, Benjamin Moukandjo never managed to live up to these high expectations. Arrived in Rennes in July 2007, his first season was spoilt by numerous injuries, and he never managed to become a regular in the Reserves team. Loaned to Sannois Saint Gratien, in National (3rd level), he didn’t succeed in getting much playing time there either. In Summer 2009, he was transferred to Nimes (Ligue 2), hoping to relaunch his career (…)
Anthony Le Tallec’s young brother is one of the best strikers in his generation. A strong-minded striker, he relies mostly on his impressive heading ability, but also on very solid technical skills. After many years playing for the youth teams in Le Havre, he joined Rennes’ Academy aged 15. Two years later, he became the youngest professional player in the team. Disappointing on the pitch (4 goals in 21 games with the reserves, for his last season in Rennes) and (too) impatient to get his (…)