Garde Unlikely to Be Next Standard Head Coach

It looked for all the world that Remi Garde was about to get back into football as the new coach at Standard Liege. However talks have hit a snag over terms according to Het Laatste Nieuws and the club now appears to be looking elsewhere for Michel Preud’homme’s successor.

The sixty-one year-old former Belgian national team goalkeeper resigned his role as technical director, but will stay on the board of the club with a focus on the future of the club at an academy level. It was anticipated Garde would take over the day-to-day management of the first-team.

“I must be honest with my myself at age 61 and ask, ‘do I have the strength to continue with all the pressures that a coach has to deal with?’,” said Preud’homme to club media.

His reaction to his own question brought forth a negative, resulting in Garde’s name jumping to the top of the list of potential successors, three years after initially being linked with the Standard job.

But now, despite Les Rouches wanting to quickly announce a successor, the former Lyonnais and Impact coach has not been able to come to an agreement with the club.

Photo by Jeroen Meuwsen/Soccrates/Getty Images

Preud’homme wants to focus on his role as vice-chairman and sports adviser. “I remain involved with the club. With a lighter program, I will now be able to focus on the general structures of the club, of course strongly affiliated with sports. My return two years ago was always with the intention to take on a different role within “my” club after my period as a coach. “

The former goalkeeper begun seeking for a successor a while ago...

“A long time before I made this decision, I started to analyze trainers, the football they bring and their philosophy. I have already talked to a few. We are looking for someone who believes in our philosophy and who can handle the pressure of Sclessin.”

It now looks like that successor, despite recent speculation, will not be Remi Garde.