Deschamps moved: “I will remember him as a man of great humanity”. He was 58 years old, had been battling pancreatic cancer for three and a half years and had been in charge of the club since January 2023
Éric Roy, Brest coach, has died at the age of 58 after battling pancreatic cancer for three and a half years. A midfielder born in 1967, Roy played between Lyon and Marseille until 1999, when he then moved to England to Sunderland. After one season he returned to France to Troyes, before moving to Spain again, this time to Rayo Vallecano. He ended his career in 2003 at Nice, the club with which he began his coaching adventure in March 2010.
a story of resilience
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“The team gave him energy and a reason to carry on, even in the most difficult moments”, this is how the family announced their farewell to Roy on Instagram, “During all this time he continued to live with a strength that still impresses us. What he has achieved in recent years will remain exceptional for us”. Exceptional not only for the family, given that, after having coached for several years and at the end of a career as sporting director at Lens, in January 2023 Grégory Lorenzi and Stade Brest offered him the possibility of returning to the bench, even though they were aware of his situation.
a joy that gave him strength
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Thanks to a fast and beautiful style of play, under his management Brest managed to achieve a historic third place in Ligue 1 in 2024, thanks to which they achieved their first ever qualification for the Champions League. The following year Roy then led his team on European away games against Real Madrid and Barcelona and survived without any problems in Ligue 1.
Deschamps moved
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The news of Roy’s death arrived in the French national team’s retreat and moved everyone. Didier Deschamps: “French football is losing a coach of great competence and a personality of great human depth. The results obtained with Stade Brestois, in particular the qualification for the Champions League, demonstrated his profound knowledge of the game and the players. It was a real pleasure for me to present him with the Ligue 1 Coach of the Year award two years ago. He faced his illness with a determination that commands respect. On a personal level, I knew Eric and I also had the opportunity to appreciate him off the pitch; I will remember him as a man of great humanity.”
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