Brest announce death of manager, ex-Sunderland midfielder Eric Roy, 58

Brest manager Eric Roy has died at the age of 58, the club have announced.

The death of the former Sunderland midfielder was confirmed on Wednesday night, only a month after the Ligue 1 season finished with Brest in 11th position.

After Roy had spells with Nice, Toulon, Lyon and Marseille in France, he spent the 1999-2000 campaign with Sunderland before forging a successful post-playing career, which included multiple sporting director roles and a final hugely successful period as Brest head coach.

"It is difficult to find the words to express all the sadness we feel following the passing of our coach Eric Roy," a statement on Brest's official X account read.

"The president, the management, and the entire Stade Brestois 29 share the pain of his family, his wife, his two children, as well as all his loved ones.

"Eric Roy was an inspiring person who brought so much to Stade Brestois. Loved and respected by the supporters, he helped write the most beautiful pages in the club's history and enabled it to reach a historic level.

"So many things could be said today, but above all, it is the emotion and grief of losing a loved one that overwhelm us.

"Eric, we will never forget everything you brought to the club, nor the man that you were. You will remain forever in our hearts and in the history of Stade Brestois 29."

Roy, who also previously worked for beIN Sports and France Televisions, took over at Brest at the start of 2023 after a short ill-fated tenure as sporting director at Watford.

After Roy guided Brest to safety following his January appointment, the port city outfit remarkably finished third in the 2023-24 campaign to qualify for the Champions League where they progressed through to the play-off round.

Ninth and 11th-placed finishes followed, with Roy winning 60 of his 143 fixtures in charge of Brest before his death.