A surprise for Regragui: Lens officially appoints a new coach

French club Lens have settled the identity of their new manager after announcing the appointment of Didier Digard to head the first team's technical staff, on a two-year contract.

Digard arrives to replace Yannick Cahuzac, who lasted just nine matches before departing. Results were poor and the pressure kept building on his staff.

Morocco's Walid Regragui and Frenchman Pierre Sage were both linked with the vacancy before the board settled on Digard.

According to "Foot Mercato", Regragui remained a strong contender in the hours before the announcement. Digard won the race, though, agreeing a two-season deal with Lens.

Calm is what the club craves after a season already rocked by upheaval in the dugout.

Cahuzac had himself come in for Dino Toppmöller, but nine matches was all he got before the board pulled the trigger on a run of poor results.

A 9-1 battering in the UEFA Champions League piled on the pressure and hastened the search for someone who could get the team back on track.

In its official statement, Lens explained that Digard's appointment followed consultations led by president Joseph Oughourlian, including interviews and discussions with several candidates.

That process, the club said, ended in a clear consensus on the French coach after the board weighed up the files and thrashed out the options.

Lens were also keen to stress that they take their big decisions internally, away from outside narratives and comment. The appointment, they argued, reflects unity within the club and a commitment to its values.

The clarification looks designed to shut down any speculation about how the new coach was really chosen.

Digard is 40. A former midfielder, he moved into coaching as an assistant before stepping up.

He caught the eye at Nice in 2023, steering them to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa Conference League, then took charge of Le Havre in the summer of 2024.

Digard kept Le Havre in the top flight across his first two seasons. He couldn't halt their stuttering start this term, though, picking up just two points from the first nine matches without a single win.

A 5-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on 31 October ended his time at the club. Weeks later he returns to the French league through the Lens door, hunting a fresh start and better results.