Sunderland’s search for a new manager is well underway after they sacked Tony Mowbray earlier this week.
The 60-year-old spent 15 months on Wearside as he guided the club to the Championship play-offs, however he had struggled to keep up the form this time round.
With seven games coming up in less than a month, Sunderland will be eager to bring in a new head coach and have already been linked with the likes of Julien Sable, Will Still and Kieran McKenna.
The latter two are particularly well known due to their growing success with Reims and Ipswich Town respectively, however Julien Sable is one name that will be unfamiliar to most.
Still and Sable are looking like two of the most likely candidates, however the former could be a bit trickier due to the hefty compensation the club would have to cough up. This could well mean it is Sable that Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Kristjaan Speakman could pursue.
So ahead of a busy week on Wearside, here is everything you need to know about Julien Sable…
Who is Julien Sable?
Born in Marseille, Julien Sable spent his entire playing career in France. The former midfielder spent ten years with Saint-Etienne, before spending time with Lens, Nice and Bastia.
Sable began his coaching career in 2015, where he managed Saint-Etienne B and also Saint Etienne U19. He then spent five years between the club’s interim position and assistant manager, before leaving in 2022 when they were relegated to Ligue 2.
Sable then took on his first full-time managerial position with Nice B, who played in the fifth division of French football.
The 43-year-old was promoted to the first team’s assistant manager following Lucien Favre’s sacking in January, with Nice finishing ninth in Ligue 1.
Sable stayed on as assistant head coach following the appointment of Francesco Farioli – a former target of Sunderland’s.
The pair have now taken the French club up to second place after 14 games – only four points behind Paris Saint-Germain.
What would Julien Sable bring to Sunderland?
Julien Sable is a very exciting, young coach who has very quickly pushed his way up the ranks and is now among the big boys in France.
Alongside Francesco Farioli, Sable has helped transform Nice’s defence into a brick wall. The French outfit have conceded only five goals in 14 games this season, though they have also only scored 14 – only three teams have scored less in Ligue 1.
Sable has plenty of experience working with younger squads, given his time with Saint-Etienne and Nice B. When he joined the latter, Nice’s sporting director Florent Ghisolfi said: “Julien is well versed in both the professional and grassroots levels of football. That will enable him to hit the ground running and have a positive impact in this crucial area, which is the link between the first team and the academy.”
He also currently works with a number of young talents in players such as Khephren Thuram, Jean-Clair Todibo and Badredine Bouanani.
Sable would also help with the French lads, though it is unclear whether he speaks good English.