Football: Alès confirms the departure of its coach, Hakim Malek, seeks a successor and announces a recruit

C’est officiel : Hakim Malek n’est plus l’entraîneur de l’OAC. Il va tenter de sauver Martigues, lanterne rouge de Ligue 2. Midi Libre – ALEXIS BETHUNE

Coach of Alès since November 2022, assistant coach of Nîmes (2014-2016), Hakim Malek, 52, will join Martigues, bottom of Ligue 2.

“After FC Martigues and its president established official contact with our club, the discussions then allowed Olympique d'Alès en Cévennes and Mr. Hakim Malek to decide by mutual agreement to terminate the contract that bound them. The club wishes Hakim every success in his new role and thanks him for his work and the seriousness of his commitment.”

It is with these words that the OAC has just confirmed the departure of its first team coach, Hakim Malek, in office since November 2022 (he had then succeeded Stéphane Saurat). Contacted by one of his former clubs, FC Martigues, where he played (1998-99 season), the Franco-Algerian technician could not say no: “If Martigues asks me, I will listen, of course. It's Ligue 2 after all!” , he recently confided to Midi Libre.

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Internal or external solution to replace him ?

So it is now official. Absent this weekend for family reasons (he had to urgently go to Algeria), Malek will therefore not return to coach in Cévennes. Without him, on Saturday, the Oaciens took down the undefeated leader Rousset (3-2) at Pibarot, keeping alive a hope of moving up to National 2 (9 points behind at the halfway point of the championship). The 52-year-old coach will leave a mixed memory in Alès, having managed to keep the club in N2 in 2023, but not in 2024…

Defender Nolan Hamard signs with OAC

If OAC still wants to believe in the rise to N2, it will be necessary to resolve the defensive problems of the first part of the season. Halfway through the championship, Alès has already conceded 22 goals (in 13 games). This is the 3rd worst defense of group J of N3.

The recruitment of Nolan Hamard is a step in this direction. The 21-year-old central defender has played 2 National matches, 2 N2 matches and 27 N3 matches with Avranches in his young career. He has signed up until the end of the season.

The OAC is therefore looking for a new coach, as the current assistant Christophe Bosne-Vialet does not have the diploma. According to Philippe Mallaroni, general manager of the OAC, the internal solution in the person of sporting director Jean-Marie Pasqualetti is not an option. The interim for training this week will be handled by Christophe Bosne-Vialet, who will also be on the bench for the next trip to Agde this Saturday: “There will be no match on the weekend of February 1 and 2. This gives us time to study all the possibilities available to us, but a decision will be made in any case before February 8, the date of the reception of Corte at Pibarot.”

In 2022, it was played between Hakim Malek and Didier Santini, currently working at Rodez, in Ligue 2. Malek will now join him in the antechamber of French football.

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