Quietly ruthless Régis Le Bris ready to lead revived Sunderland into Europa League

The Breton’s signing of Enzo Le Fée sparked chain of events leading to promotion and now European qualification

One of Régis Le Bris’s first acts as Sunderland’s 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 has 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.