With 10 points from seven Ligue 1 matches, Stade Rennais coach Habib Beye has had a mixed start to the season on the sporting front. To make matters worse, the Senegalese coach has been described as weakened by a revolt among his players. During the international break, a rumor circulated: two senior players in the Breton dressing room, Brice Samba and Seko Fofana, had reportedly called for Beye's departure.

Reinstated in his position by Rennes sporting director Loïc Désiré on Thursday, the former Olympique de Marseille defender spoke on Friday about the impact of this unrest. "We are impacted by what is said or written, because we are human. We cannot remain indifferent. But we move forward, and what is important is to maintain balance and emotional stability with the group. I am not going to change my way of being. It's not pleasant to see everything that is said, but it is inherent to my job. What I tell my group is to remain impervious to all of this," he commented.

Unsurprisingly, this situation provoked an internal reaction with discussions between Beye and his players. "I spoke with Brice (Samba) and Seko (Fofana), because after what was said in the press, it was necessary for me to speak out so that they could see that I have not changed my state of mind. External destabilization exists all the time. It's not just Brice and Seko, we also talked about Valentin Rongier, Djaoui Cissé, Hans Hateboer... I spoke with each of them individually, some even took the initiative to come and see me," said the Rennes coach.

Despite the rumors surrounding the team, Beye has decided to trust the recent conversations with his troops. "These are speculations. Locker room discussions are natural, they're part of the life of a group. The relationship I have with my players, I want it to be one of authenticity. Many people have spoken on our behalf. Everything reported from the outside is supposition," he said.

When a player speaks to me, I consider it to be genuine and I do the same with him. What we said will remain between them and me, but we came away saying that the point is to perform as a group, and not to speculate on what was said here and there. I don't have to consider that there is a problem between them and me," Beye concluded. For Rennes, a reaction will be essential when they host Auxerre on Sunday in Ligue 1.

Maxifoot