Didier Di Gaal has officially been appointed as the head coach of Lens, with a contract running until June 2028.

Lens announced in a statement on Friday the official appointment of Didier Digar as first-team manager. His contract is effective immediately and will run until June 30, 2028.

For Di Gaal, his primary task upon taking over is to lead the team to reverse their recent slump as quickly as possible. Lens, under Yannick Kajusac, has suffered three consecutive defeats and currently sits in 11th place in Ligue 1 with 13 points.

Di Gareth de Gaulle was born in Gissol, France in 1986. During his playing career, he played for several teams, including Le Havre, Paris Saint-Germain, Middlesbrough, Nice, Real Betis, Osasuna, and Lorca. He began his coaching career in 2019 and held various positions at Nice, including reserve team coach, first team assistant coach, and interim head coach, during his five-year tenure there.

In July 2024, Di Gaal officially succeeded Luca Elsner as the head coach of Le Havre. Since taking over, he had accumulated a record of 17 wins, 20 draws and 42 losses, and was finally dismissed two weeks ago after leading the team to the bottom of Ligue 1.

Nevertheless, Lens still has high hopes for Di Gareth's coaching abilities. In their announcement, they stated: "Since the beginning of this week, the club has been following its usual procedures for making major decisions. Under the guidance of President Joseph Ogurlian, the club's leadership has communicated directly with several candidates."

"After multiple rounds of talks, all parties reached a high degree of consensus on selecting Didier Digar as head coach. This decision demonstrates the club's unity, adherence to its values, and full focus on its sporting development plan. In the current media environment, external comments may sometimes seem unanimous, but they often give rise to rumors that are far removed from the club's actual internal considerations. Lens hereby emphasizes that all our decisions are based on objective facts, in-depth analysis of the candidate's background, and unwavering conviction."

"Lens FC was impressed by Di Gaal's tactical acumen, ability to develop players, management skills, and deep understanding of the club's core values – humility, diligence, dedication, and ambition."

"The entire Lens club warmly welcomes Didier Digar and wishes him all the best during his tenure as manager. The club will continue to uphold its firm beliefs and spirit of unity, and will continue to build the future with a steadfast and united attitude, committed to maintaining its unique character, serving the local community, and achieving its established goals."

Image source: Internet/Lans official website