AS Monaco: President plans radical change – upset about development after Kovac-Aus

Despite beating PSG 3-0

On New Year’s Eve, AS Monaco confirmed the surprising separation from coach Niko Kovac. The 50-year-old, who scored an average of 1.95 points in 74 games with the Monegasques, has been unbeaten with his team for eleven games. After 19 matchdays in Ligue 1, AS Monaco were only in seventh place with 29 points, but they were only four points behind third place. With successor Philippe Clement, the Champions League ranks should be reached, but the change in the coaching bench turned out to be a mistake that caused trouble.

The 47-year-old Belgian could not sustainably advance AS Monaco and cannot match Kovac’s point average. After 15 games, Clement has an average of 1.47 points. After ten matchdays in the French top flight, AS Monaco remain in seventh place. Despite the 3-0 win against PSG on Sunday afternoon, at the end of the 29th matchday they are at least seven points behind the Champions League places. Captain Wissam Ben Yedder (25th/84th, penalty kick) and Kevin Volland (68th) scored victory for the Monegasque – the substitute DFB striker had also won the penalty. In addition to being eliminated in the cup semifinals, Monaco also had to bow out in the round of 16 of the Europa League against SC Braga (0:2, 1:1).

As the “L’Equipereported, club president Dmitri Rybolovlev is very disappointed with the development and results of his team. After the end of the Europa League, the 55-year-old Russian was so upset and angry that he decided to replace the entire sporting director. In addition to coach Clement, Vice President Oleg Petrov and Sports Director Paul Mitchell also have to go – but the time has not yet been determined.

Since the last championship title in 2017, Rybolovlev has always been aiming for the top class, but AS Monaco were last in the group stage in 2018/19. The club boss hasn’t stopped investing in the squad since the last Ligue 1 title to bring the team back to that level and manifest their status as number two behind PSG. Since then, AS Monaco has spent 566 million euros on new players, only for reinforcements of the Parisian star ensemble in France even more money flowed during the period. In the ranking of the most valuable Ligue 1 squads, AS Monaco is still in second place with €352m.

PSG victory not decisive: President of AS Monaco wants change

Vice-President Petrov, in office since February 2019, was instrumental in electing Mitchell as sporting director, who joined the Monegasque team in June 2020. The Englishman, who previously worked for the Red Bull Group for many years, primarily redesigned the athletic and medical areas of AS Monaco. In October 2020, James Bunce was introduced as Director of Performance, who bases his work on data and decides on fitness training, which is said to have led to tensions with ex-coach Kovac. Successor Clement came to the Ligue 1 club with fewer assistants in order to be able to work better with Bunce’s now large team.

Even the prestige win against PSG on Sunday afternoon would not change the situation for Clement and Co., “L’Équipe” previously emphasized. It is almost unthinkable that the Belgian will sit on the bench at AS Monaco next season. Clement cannot even be sure that he will survive the upcoming international break. Board member and Rybolovlev’s son-in-law Juan Sartori could play a more important role in the future. AS Monaco ‘formally’ denied the French daily’s report and ‘regretted the timing of publication’ just ahead of the premier game against PSG.

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