Ligue 1 champions Lille confirm Gourvennec as head coach in shock appointment
Jocelyn Gourvennec takes over the French champions, having not coached since leaving Guingamp two years ago.
Lille have appointed Jocelyn Gourvennec as their new head coach to succeed Christoph Galtier, who guided the club to Ligue 1 glory in 2020-21.
Galtier guided Lille to a shock Ligue 1 title after dethroning Paris Saint-Germain for their first league crown since 2010-11, however, he left and eventually joined rivals Nice.
Lille have now surprisingly turned to Gourvennec, with the 49-year-old having not coached since parting ways with Guingamp in May 2019.
Gourvennec also previously led Bordeaux from 2016 to 2018.
A list of big names were linked with the vacant Lille post, including Claudio Ranieri, Thiago Motta, Laurent Blanc, Patrick Vieira – who is now manager of Crystal Palace, and Lucien Favre.
Lille said in a club statement that Gourvennec is a head coach "recognised for his hard work, his ambition and his obsession with performance, values shared with LOSC".
The French champions have sold goalkeeper Mike Maignan to Serie A side Milan and midfielder Boubakary Soumare to Premier League outfit Leicester City this off-season.
New Lille boss Gourvennec previously had two stints at Guingamp, helping them to promotion to Ligue 1 and winning the Coupe de France in 2014, but suffered relegation in his second stint in 2019.
