Reconciliation seems impossible. Didier Dinart and US Ivry are falling apart and will most likely never work together again. Arriving in January 2023 at the bedside of a historic eight-time French champion club, the former star and then coach of the France team Didier Dinart has not returned to his bench since the start of the season. He and his group of players twice saved Ivry from relegation. But since the start of the school year, the Val-de-Marne club has been playing in Proligue, the second division, where it occupies third place.
As a reminder, Didier Dinart was 2017 world champion at the head of the France team after having been double Olympic champion (2008 and 2012) and triple world champion (2001, 2009 and 2011) as a player with the Blues.
This December 18, an AFP report reported a revolt by players against the 48-year-old technician. Under condition of anonymity, some of them condemned the “brutality” and “toxic management” of the technician. One went further by saying: “we don’t want him to drag us away anymore.” According to the news agency, the group began a strike at the end of October to remove him.
François Lequeux, the president of the club, and his team have launched an internal investigation, the results of which must be revealed in the coming days.
“This exclusion was violent”
The comments in any case made the coach’s lawyer, Me Anthony Mottais, jump. “All this is extremely contested on the part of Didier Dinart,” replies his counsel. This media outing is a clumsy counter-fire while industrial tribunal litigation has been underway since July.”
The first conciliation hearing between the two parties took place this Thursday, December 18. “Mr. Dinart, for his part, blames his employer for non-payment for numerous hours of work and moral harassment, excessive pressure which resulted in a significant deterioration in his health,” continues Me Mottais.
Didier Dinart is on sick leave. “The club notified Didier Dinart that it no longer wished to see him coach the team. However, the position of the players is not unanimous because he also has support in the team. This exclusion was violent,” continues the council.
Didier Dinart, who like the club management does not wish to speak, will take a place on a bench next month. He will probably lead the Montenegro selection, as he has been doing for a year, during the next European Championship which will take place from January 15 to February 1. With Guillaume Gille, his former assistant at the head of the Blues, he is one of the two French coaches in the tournament.
