In stark contrast to last year’s three-month winning run to lift them onto the podium, Monaco middling spring form means Champions League football is now out of reach – and the Principality side could even find themselves pushed down to 5th by Lille by the end of the campaign.
Although manager Philippe Clement has failed in reaching the target set out to him – a second-place finish – owner Dmitriy Rybolovlev has been more patient with the Belgian, especially given his reduced investment in the club in the past few years.
Clement remains under contract for another year, but no word of a potential extension has filtered through, and his position has been weakened by recent heavy defeats to the likes of Lens, Lyon and Montpellier, report L’Équipe.
L’Équipe add that at the club, the feeling is that were the team to finish outside of the top five spots in Ligue 1, a managerial change would be inevitable. However, for the time being, the idea is to stick with Clement, with the management in particular appreciating the work he does with young players. The club’s deciders have enquired about Salzburg manager Matthias Jaissle, although no direct contact has been made. The 35-year-old would be in tune with incoming Sporting Director Thiago Scuro, who is also from the Red Bull network and is currently with Bragantino. The former Hoffenheim defender won the domestic double last year and is on track for another title.
GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin
