Regis Le Press: Sunderland’s season manager

It’s fair to say that when Sunderland announced Lopres’ appointment in June 2024, the sentiment was one of disappointment.

It took three months to find a permanent replacement for Michael Bell, and the club landed on a man who had just been relegated from France’s Ligue 1 with Lorient.

But after the Black Cats ended an eight-year absence from the top flight by beating Coventry in the final, it turned into great pride among the club’s fans.

“The fans love him,” said BBC Radio Sunderland commentator Nick Barnes.

“Results are their first thing, so he achieved that.

“But they also see that he’s a really nice guy with a nice demeanor. In public and in press conferences, he smiles, he can crack a joke, he’s very patient and I think people responded to that.”

With a PhD in Sports Physiology and Biomechanics to his name, Le Press is not your typical manager. His popularity on Wearside meant that a trip to the Roker’s waterfront early in his tenure surprised him as fans mobbed him.

Having learned this lesson, this quiet and thoughtful character snuck into Newcastle on occasion to enjoy an evening out.

However, at Al Noor Academy this football student is in his element.

“Regis is a bit shy, but he is very personable and has a sarcastic sense of humor and is becoming more comfortable with himself,” Barnes said.

He added: “He is very focused. He seems to spend his life immersed in the job. He jokes that he is happiest in front of his laptop, watching the matches.”

“He deliberately learned English to come to this country to make a name for himself, and it can be said that he did.”