Before this weekend, Bruno Génésio would have been happy with his record against Lyon, the club he once played for and managed. The two devastating victories he achieved with Rennes against his former club in the 2021-22 season typified his freewheeling style. But the 1-0 defeat his team suffered to Lyon on Sunday may become his most significant result against his boyhood club.
Rennes were up against it – they had to play with 10 men for 85 minutes after Guéla Doué’s early dismissal – but losing to the bottom club in Ligue 1 suggests his position may have become unsalvageable. Rennes are a point above the bottom three, having won just two of their 12 league games this season. Despite the congested nature of the division, with just five points separating sixth and 16th, it’s a poor start. They have only won once in the league since the opening day.
Génésio arrived at the club in March 2021 and his results have not lived up to the potential in his squad, finishing fourth twice while making no real impact in the cups. Despite some disappointing results, perceptions of Génésio have remained high given his team’s attractive style of play and the number of players the club has sold during his tenure.
For much of the last two seasons, especially the 2021-22 campaign, Rennes’ flowing style was the most attractive in the league. That Champagne football was aided by Florian Maurice’s eye for talent. The sporting director unearthed a series of players in the €10m to €20m bracket, such as Lovro Majer – the heir to Luka Modric in the Croatia team.
The club has also excelled at developing and selling players. Skilful wingers Jérémy Doku and Kamaldeen Sulemana, centre-back Nayef Aguerd, midfielders Lesley Ugochukwu and Eduardo Camavinga, versatile forward Mathys Tel and Majer were signed or brought through the ranks for a cost of €59m; they have been sold for more than €220m, all leaving during Génésio’s reign.
That income has been spent quickly, however. Only PSG have spent more than Rennes since the summer of 2020. Génésio, to be fair, would point out that the club has received more transfer income than any other club and dealing with such a high turnover of players has proven disruptive.
Aguerd, perhaps the best defender in Ligue 1 when he signed for West Ham, has proven difficult to replace. And it is not easy for a club like Rennes to find players as talented as Camavinga. The same goes for Doku, who blossomed last season and inspired the team’s late surge into the Europa League. Nevertheless, it’s difficult to ignore the feeling that Rennes have underachieved given their talent and resources.
Aside from those spectacular wins over Lyon, Rennes’ best performances under Génésio have tended to come against weaker teams. Oddly, Génésio had the opposite problem when he coached Lyon from 2015 and 2019. He set up his team shrewdly against stronger sides, regularly unsettling PSG and bigger clubs in Europe. However, their ambitions of winning a trophy were usually derailed by frustratingly blunt performances, often at home, against weaker teams.
His Rennes team has been popular given their style of play, but much of the hype has been due to potential rather than results. They did not finish in the top three or challenge for trophies, as their resources and talent suggested they should. And the achievements of Génésio’s predecessor Julien Stéphan – who won the Coupe de France in 2019 and took the club into the Champions League the following year – do not flatter him.
This season has become a defining one for Génésio. Rennes are still struggling against direct rivals, having failed to beat Lille, Lens, PSG or Nice; meanwhile their frustrating home draws with Strasbourg and Le Havre, as well as dropped points in Breton derbies against Brest and Lorient, have increased the focus on his position. After the defeat to Lyon on Sunday he admitted that his job was under threat.
Admittedly, Doku’s exit would harm any team, especially as it came so late in the window, and Maurice’s signings have produced increasingly fewer hits. Rennes’ marquee summer additions – Enzo Le Fée from Lorient and Ludovic Blas from Nantes – have been inconsistent, and the wisdom of trusting a 35-year-old Nemanja Matic remains questionable.
Attacking midfielder Fabien Reider (21), a €15m signing from Young Boys – a price bracket, market and age profile where Maurice usually excels – has had a minimal impact. The forwards Amine Gouiri and Arnaud Kalimuendo, who were signed last year for a combined €48m, have underwhelmed, scoring just 30 goals between them in a combined 105 appearances.
The club has also handled outgoings poorly. Graceful midfielder Flavien Tait and captain Hamari Traoré were allowed to leave this summer for free, having been key players. Serhou Guirassy was sold to Stuttgart for €9m and he has already scored 15 goals for them in the Bundesliga. Midfielder Andy Diouf, striker Jordan Siebatcheu, forward Romain Del Castillo and centre-back Gerzino Nyamsi have all left for minimal fees; they have all impressed at their new clubs and would be more than useful to Génésio.
Rennes have become functional rather than fluid in attack and they are increasingly beset by defensive hesitancy and lapses in judgment. Veteran goalkeeper Steve Mandanda’s use-by date may have expired, especially when considering his shaky passing.
Nevertheless, hope remains for Génésio. There is no shame in losing 1-0 to Lyon (whose league position belies their quality), with 10 men and Génésio remains a far more astute coach than is widely appreciated. He has led the team to three wins from four in a tough group in the Europa League and he will be hoping that Martin Terrier’s return from a long-term injury – along with the emergence of exciting youngsters such as right-back Lorenz Assignon and midfielder Désiré Doué – can revive his team’s fortunes.
That said, the fear is for Génésio is that his career becomes a story of moments of joy that mask deeper disappointments. His team is struggling and this latest defeat to his boyhood club suggests the success he seeks may be beyond him.
Quick Guide
Ligue 1 results
Show
Montpellier 0-0 Nice
Reims 0-3 PSG
Le Havre 0-0 Monaco
Clermont 1-0 Lorient
Metz 3-1 Nantes
Lille 1-1 Toulouse
Rennes 0-1 Lyon
Lens 1-0 Marseille
Talking points
Lens v Marseille was the weekend’s standout fixture, bringing together two of last season’s top three. Both clubs have already fallen behind in the chase for Champions League places but Lens are now finding their feet after an abject start. Their 1-0 win against Marseille, secured thanks to a last-minute goal from Jonathan Gradit, extends their unbeaten domestic run to seven games. Unable to barrel forward without the irrepressible Seko Fofana, who left for Saudi Arabia in the summer, coach Franck Haise is again proving his coaching smarts by producing an even more stoic but effective side. It is less exciting but it is working. Lens are up to sixth, while Marseille slip into the bottom half.
A Kylian Mbappé hat-trick forced Reims out of the top four as PSG went top due to Nice’s draw at Montpellier. Nevertheless, Reims’ progress under Will Still remains the most impressive managerial feat this season. After a 17-game unbeaten league run at the start of his reign, Reims suffered eight losses in 12. The hype about the 31-year-old’s potential seemed to be just that. However, despite losing top scorer Folarin Balogun to Monaco in the summer, Still has reshaped his team to challenge once again. He is proving to be one of Europe’s leading young coaches.