Coach Michel Der Zakarian was let go by Montpellier after his team suffered a 5-0 defeat at home against Marseille, marking their sixth loss in eight games this season.
This result left the 2012 French champions at the bottom of the league, having already allowed 26 goals in a season that celebrates the club’s 50th anniversary.
“Tonight I felt compelled to end our collaboration,” said Montpellier president Laurent Nicollin, visibly emotional, after the match.
In a statement to DAZN, he added: “We talked in the dressing room after the game. I told him it was over tonight. I also went to see the players to let them know that thanks to their excellent work they had fired the coach and that they need to take their responsibilities on Sunday against Toulouse.”
Der Zakarian, a former Armenia international known as “Der Zak” in the Montpellier area, is a well-known and cherished figure at the family-run club in southern France.
As a player, the 61-year-old defender spent nearly ten years at Montpellier, becoming captain after Laurent Blanc left for Napoli and leading the team to win the League Cup in 1992. After retiring, Der Zakarian joined Montpellier’s coaching staff and learned his craft with the reserve teams. Feeling disappointed not to land the top coaching position, he left for Nantes in 2006.
He eventually became Montpellier’s coach in 2017. His first term lasted four seasons, during which he led the team to a sixth-place finish while building a squad known for its strong defense.
As the club struggled, Der Zakarian returned in 2023 with the same tough approach and managed to spark some improvement.
Montpellier won the French league title once in 2012 by surprising Paris Saint-Germain. The club also took the second division title in 1987 and the French Cup in 1990, with players like Eric Cantona, Laurent Blanc, and Julio Cesar on the team.
However, Montpellier’s goals this season have been seriously affected by a large drop in television rights revenue, making it hard for the club to get the new players it wanted.
“We absolutely need to win against Toulouse,” Nicollin said, adding that firing Der Zakarian was “not a magic solution, but the easiest way to re-boost everybody.”
Nicollin mentioned that he has not yet found a replacement for Der Zakarian, but he is looking for someone willing to “get his hands dirty because getting a struggling team back on track is never easy.”
Marseille’s victory ended a two-match winless streak as they headed into a Sunday home game against their bitter rival PSG at Stade Velodrome. PSG is at the top of the league on goal difference ahead of Monaco, with both teams unbeaten and holding 20 points after eight rounds.
