Lorient coach Pantaloni to leave club at end of season

Lorient coach Olivier Pantaloni will step down at the end of the season due to a "lack of trust" from the Ligue 1 club's hierarchy, he said on Wednesday.

The 59-year-old took over in 2024 following relegation and immediately led the Breton side back into the top flight as second-tier champions.

Lorient have enjoyed an impressive first season back in Ligue 1, sitting in ninth place with six matches remaining.

"There's one main reason – the lack of trust from the management since I arrived," Pantaloni told local newspaper Ouest-France.

"I still feel this distrust, and therefore I refuse to work under these conditions."

Pantaloni pointed to a clause inserted into a proposed new contract that would allow the club to terminate it at any time, which he felt "once again demonstrated a lack of confidence in my abilities".

Lorient said they regretted but respected the decision taken by Pantaloni to turn down an offer that would've made him the highest paid in the club's history.

"The last offer was a good one, the best I've had (in my career)," Pantaloni admitted in an interview with Le Telegramme, but "money has never been my driving force".