One of Régis Le Bris’s first acts as Sunderland head coach was to preside over a pre-season training camp near Alicante. It was July 2024 and, according to those present, the Breton sometimes cut a slightly isolated figure.
“I arrived alone, without any collaborators,” Le Bris said, reflecting on his leap of faith that involved exchanging the familiarity of Lorient for a job that, initially, meant working with Sunderland’s existing backroom team rather than bringing hand-picked assistants.
