Le Havre has appointed Valérien Ismaël as head coach until the end of the season, the club announced, with the 51-year-old former defender replacing Didier Digard at the Ligue 1 side.
The appointment comes with Le Havre sitting rock bottom of the Ligue 1 standings, still winless with just two points from 10 matches.
Ismaël has previously coached in Germany, Greece, Austria, Turkey and England, giving him experience across several European leagues before taking on this assignment.
In a statement released late Thursday, Le Havre said Ismaël had dealt with "emergency situations" in the past, adding that this experience "could prove very useful to him in the coming weeks."
Founded in 1872, Le Havre is considered the oldest club in French professional soccer. It was acquired by the Houston-based multi-club group Blue Crow in July 2025, and fans have blamed the owners for the club's worrying sporting situation, with fan groups calling earlier this month for them to leave.
According to an earlier report, Le Havre suspended Digard following a 5-1 loss to Paris Saint-Germain, with academy director Jaïr Karam subsequently taking charge as interim coach before Ismaël's appointment.
