25/26 Season Preview #3: Le Havre

Last Season

It was a tight relegation scrap last season, but a sensational win over Europe-chasers Strasbourg on the final day of the season saved Les Ciel et Marines their spot in Ligue 1 McDonald's. A now-iconically dispatched Panenka penalty in the 99th minute from Abdoulaye Touré sparked wild celebrations from the Le Havre faithful in the 3-2 final day win last May. This season, Didier Digard will hope that won't be necessary, but Les Marines have had to deal with several big departures.

WATCH: Final day heroics from Le Havre

The Coach: Didier Digard

After an interim stint in charge of OGC Nice during the 2022-2023 season, took the reins of his boyhood club Le Havre AC on 1st July 2024, returning to the Stade Océane after progressing through its youth system and featuring for the first team from 2004 to 2007. Digard brings a pragmatic yet ambitious philosophy grounded in collective play, high intensity and offensive intent—a style he describes as “reflecting his personality.” He fosters strong bonds with his players and prioritizes mental strength alongside tactical cohesion. Despite a rocky mid-season period, Digard’s astute adjustments—switching from a back five to a back four, replacing his goalkeeper, and streamlining the squad in winter—sparked a remarkable revival. Le Havre climbed from relegation trouble to 15th place, securing survival with a dramatic stoppage-time win on the final day.

Key Arrivals

Le Havre are hoping to build on their survival and have recruited smartly this summer to blend high-potential signings from Ligue 2 BKT sides with players who have experienced plenty of Ligue 1 McDonald's action over the years. Defender Thomas Delaine has joined from RC Strasbourg, along with Clermont goalkeeper Mory Diaw. Adding to this, HAC have added Ayumu Seko, who becomes the first Japanese international to sign for the Normandy-based club.

The signing of Red Star's Fodé Doucouré and Rodez's Lionel Mpasi-Nzau shows the club's intent to sign players who have the quality and potential to break into a Ligue 1 side next season.

Key departures

No more than nine first-team players have left Normandy this summer, with the experienced André Ayew ending his second stint at the club after returning last winter. Another big loss has been young winger Josué Casimir who has departed for Auxerre. The likes of Mathieu Gorgelin and Arthur Desmas were also let go following the expiry of their contracts.

READ MORE: >> Ayumu Seko becomes Le Havre’s first-ever Japanese player

Remember when…

Le Havre AC are not just France’s oldest football club — founded in 1872 — but also one of its most respected talent factories. The 1998–99 season remains their most recent high watermark in Ligue 1 McDonald’s before their 2023 return, when a side led by Christophe Revault and Jean-Michel Lesage held their own against top-flight giants. But more than results, Le Havre is synonymous with youth development: the club’s famed academy has produced the likes of Paul Pogba, Riyad Mahrez, Benjamin Mendy, Dimitri Payet, and Lassana Diarra. While trophies have been elusive, their legacy in shaping elite-level talent is unmatched outside the capital.

Cult hero: Jean-Michel Lesage

Jean-Michel Lesage may never have played for France or starred abroad, but in Le Havre, he’s a legend. A creative midfielder turned forward with a wand of a left foot, Lesage became the club’s all-time leading scorer with 87 goals in 370 appearances across two spells. His peak came in the mid-2000s, when his set-piece prowess and late runs from deep made him a match-winner at a time when Le Havre were bouncing between the top two divisions. Always humble and deeply connected to the club, he later returned to work behind the scenes and remains a symbolic link between generations of Le Havre fans.