Rennes won on Sunday. Four goals scored in Strasbourg, a hat-trick from Esteban Lepaul, a first victory since September 14. Roazhon Park is smiling again. Nine games without winning was starting to take a toll. But make no mistake: this victory saves nothing at all. It simply postpones the deadline. Habib Beye remains under close surveillance. No clear duration has been set by management. No defined horizon. Which means only one thing: every match could be the last.
Beye gained time, but remains under pressure
Monday October 27, Beye thought it was over. Summoned to Arnaud Pouille’s office after the home defeat against Nice, he began to empty his locker and say his goodbyes. Nine matches without a victory, tensions with Brice Samba and Seko Fofana, contested tactical choices. Everything pointed to a departure. But Pouille had no plan B. Philippe ClĂ©ment, expected as successor, had never been formally contacted. And dismissing Beye would be expensive: 1.8 million euros in compensation, plus the salary of the replacement. The memory of the dismissal of Julien StĂ©phan in November 2024 (3.6 million euros) still haunted management. So Pouille backed down. “We will try to move forward together,” he told the media. A reprieve, not a blank check.
Four goals against Strasbourg is good. But that’s not enough to erase nine games without winning. Beye himself refuses to gloat. At a press conference, he remains cautious: “This victory does not give me more serenity or legitimacy, but it does a lot of good for my staff as a whole. » He knows he’s walking on eggshells. Rennes is in 10th place, five points behind the European places. A correct position on paper, but fragile. The slightest misstep will revive doubts.
Habib Beye, still on the edge. Its victory against Strasbourg only offered a reprieve. Management keeps him under extreme vigilance, match after match.
The next match will be decisive
On November 7, Rennes faces Paris FC on the road. This match weighs heavily. A second consecutive victory would establish credible momentum. A misstep would instantly reignite rumors of dismissal. Management expects “results”, insisted Pouille. No speeches, no excuses. Points. And if possible, mental stability. This team has been rematched three times this season after leading 2-0. A psychological problem that Beye must resolve.
Habib Beye did not save his place on Sunday. He just bought time. No clear horizon was given to him. No “three games to prove yourself” or “until the end of the year.” This lack of formalization is voluntary. She keeps the pressure on. Each meeting potentially becomes the last. The coming weeks will tell if Beye manages to transform this reprieve into stability. But for now, he remains on a thread. And the thread is very, very fine.
