American owners face fan revolt as Le Havre crisis deepens
Following a 5‑1 defeat to Paris Saint‑Germain on Saturday, April 19, 2025, Le Havre announced the suspension of head coach Didier Digard. Supporter groups have since demanded that the American owners abandon the club amid a deepening crisis that sees the side languishing at the bottom of Ligue 1.
Le Havre head coach Didier Digard watched from the sidelines as his side faced Paris Saint‑Germain in a French League One match at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Saturday, April 19, 2025. Le Havre, founded in 1872, is regarded as the oldest club in French professional football and now finds itself in an unprecedented sporting crisis.
The club began the week without a coach and without a president, with relegation looming. President Jean‑Michel Roussier’s resignation will be formally presented and ratified on Thursday, the club confirmed.
The previous coach had led the Normandy side since 2022, while Didier Digard was appointed in the summer of 2024. French media report that sports director Demba Ba and goalkeeping coach Nicolas Douchez are also set to leave.
Blue Crow Sports Group, a multi‑club entity based in Houston, acquired Le Havre in July 2025. Supporter groups issued a joint statement saying that within days every individual who helped return the club to Ligue 1 in 2023 and keep it there has vanished from its organisational structure.
Le Havre have amassed only two points from nine matches this season. Fans blame the Houston‑based ownership for the club’s precarious situation.
They added that Blue Crow represents nothing in Le Havre, has dismantled the club and shows a complete lack of understanding of its history and identity, making the looming catastrophe entirely its responsibility. Le Havre’s next fixture is against Lorient on Sunday.
Upcoming clash with Lorient
Supporters warned that the united front between players, the manager and the Kop that emerged after the PSG defeat has been shattered ahead of the Lorient game. Former player Didier Digard, who kept the team in the top flight over the past two seasons, departs with a record of 17 wins, 20 draws and 40 losses.
The club named academy director Jaïr Karam as interim coach. Yacine Alaoui will oversee administrative and sporting matters until a new chairman and chief executive are appointed.