Soccer-Brest coach Eric Roy dead at 58

Eric Roy, the 58-year-old Brest coach, has died after a three-and-a-half-year battle with pancreatic cancer, having led the team to a historic third-place finish in Ligue 1.

Brest coach Eric Roy has died ​at the age of ​58 after battling pancreatic cancer, ‌his ​family said on Wednesday. Roy, who led one of the most unlikely success stories in recent European ‌football, had kept his illness private for three and a half years.

Appointed in January 2023 after a decade away from management, Roy took charge ‌of a Brest side widely expected to be relegated. He guided the ‌club to an unexpected third-place finish in Ligue 1 in the 2023-24 season, securing their first qualification for European competition and earning the league’s Manager of the Season ⁠award.

“His ​time at Stade ⁠Brestois was one of the most beautiful periods of his life. It gave him ⁠energy, joy and a reason to keep going, even through the most difficult ​moments,” his family said in a statement. “With his players, he built ⁠a rare and wonderful bond. He loved them deeply, and he was proud, profoundly ⁠proud, ​to be their coach.”

Before moving into management and sporting director roles at clubs including Nice, Lens and Watford, Roy had a ⁠long playing career in the 1990s. A defensive midfielder, he made more than 300 ⁠appearances in ⁠France for teams such as Nice, Lyon and Marseille, and also had a spell with Sunderland in the ‌Premier League.