Almost official.
Belgian Club Brugge coach Philippe Clement is set to sign a two-and-a-half-year contract with AS Monaco, which has just separated from Croatian Niko Kovac, AFP learned on Friday evening from sources with knowledge of this file that stirs the Ligue 1.
Aged 47, Philippe Clement has been the coach of the Bruges club since May 2019, current 2nd in the Belgian championship and with which he was champion in 2020 and 2021. Former Belgian international midfielder, he had previously led Genk as Belgian champion in 2019.
According to a source very close to the club, Clement would have accepted the two-and-a-half-year contract offered by the Monegasque management.
If there were still some details to be finalized on Friday evening, the operation was close to being concluded and optimism was in order within the Monegasque club, which has however still not communicated on the dismissal of Niko Kovac from his post. coach.
Kovac in turmoil
Kovac, present at the club's performance center in La Turbie on Thursday, was dismissed from his post with immediate effect after leaving a meeting with his management.
Friday, it was Stéphane Nado, the coach of the reserve team, who led the session of a group of seven players affected by Covid-19, as well as Guillermo Maripan, suspended for the Coupe de France on Sunday and authorized to return to the principality after January 1.
Friday evening, it was therefore not yet certain that Philippe Clement could lead the Monegasque team in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France on Sunday in Rouen against Quevilly-Rouen, resident of L2, but the signing, on the other hand, seems on the verge of happen.
Paul Mitchell, reinforced in his position of sports director, and Oleg Petrov, vice-president and general manager of the club of the principality, also managed this Friday to negotiate with the management of the Flemish club the transfer of the coach, who was under contract. for an indefinite period with Club Brugge.