Stade Rennais manager Franck Haise admitted to a rare halftime outburst to spark his team during a 4-1 home victory over Auxerre in Ligue 1, helping the Breton club climb to third place in the standings. Speaking to reporters after Sunday’s match at Roazhon Park, Haise confessed he was pushed to extremes after a sloppy first half that left the hosts tied 1-1.
Franck Haise Explains Halftime Dressing Room Outburst
Rennes dominated possession early, opening the scoring in the 15th minute through Esteban Lepaul. Yet a defensive lapse just ten minutes later allowed Auxerre to equalize. A long clearance from opposing goalkeeper Mamadou Diop bypassed the entire central defense, leaving Cameron Archer free to race from his own half and beat goalkeeper Brice Samba.
Reflecting on the tense interval in the dressing room, Haise pulled no punches regarding his vocal delivery. If you listen to my voice, there… It’s been a little while since I’ve cranked up the volume like that, huh
, the manager remarked to journalists. I’d prefer not to have to do it too often because otherwise, I’m going to really end my career sooner than planned. But it was necessary.
The manager pointed to a lack of basic preventive structure and defensive intensity during the first-half breakdown. When you’re three against one but you don’t do the preventive marking, when you sometimes lack a bit of aggressiveness, when you make tracking runs that aren’t at 100%, what happened happened, and logic would even have had us trailing at the break
, Haise explained.
Tactical Shifts and Second-Half Resurgence
Rennes emerged with renewed intensity after the interval. Adrien Thomasson restored the lead in the 53rd minute, driving home after struggling to find his rhythm during a disjointed opening period following the international break. Haise defended the physical toll on his squad, noting that players like Thomasson and captain Valentin Rongier are high-volume runners who require consistent match rhythm.
The manager also shook up his matchday squad before kickoff, leaving players such as Nordin and Merlin out of the 18-man selection to signal that internal competition is fierce. Players have rights and duties
, Haise noted of his strict roster management.
Substitute Boulaye Dia sealed the three points with a clinical two-goal flurry during stoppage time (92nd and 94th minutes), validating Haise’s second-half substitutions and giving the scoreline a more comfortable sheen. The victory lifts Rennes to 13 points after six matches, level with second-placed Lille and one point behind league leaders Monaco.
Preparation for Upcoming European Fixtures
Despite early-season inconsistencies—including a heavy 4-0 defeat at Lyon—Haise expressed satisfaction with his squad’s trajectory. I think it’s better to be at 13 points like Lille or us today, with all the room for improvement that we have, rather than telling ourselves that what we’re doing isn’t bad and having a lot fewer points
, he assessed.
Rennes turns its attention immediately to continental competition. The team hosts Greek club OFI Crete on Thursday in the UEFA Europa League before returning to domestic action with an away trip to face Paris FC on Sunday at 17:15 local time.
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