Esperance have officially completed the appointment of Spanish coach Pablo Franco as their new head coach, with the 44-year-old taking charge of the Tunisian club following the departure of Romanian coach Laurenciu Reghecampf.
The club confirmed on Saturday that all procedures for Franco’s appointment had been completed and that he would begin work with the first-team squad at their scheduled training session later that evening.
Franco’s arrival marks the start of a new phase for Esperance as the club prepares to return to Tunisian league action and continue its campaign in the African Champions League.
The Spanish coach takes over after Reghecampf’s spell with the club came to an end. He now faces the task of preparing the squad for a busy period of domestic and continental competition.
Franco arrived in Tunisia on Saturday morning and was welcomed at Tunis-Carthage International Airport by Khalil Chemmam, the first-team player and manager.
His first duties will include meeting the players and coaching staff before taking charge of his opening training session. Preparations will then begin for Esperance’s upcoming fixtures.
The 44-year-old brings experience from working with clubs outside Spain, particularly in African football.
His most recent appointment was at Moroccan club Maghreb Fez, whom he guided to the Moroccan league title last season. His performances there helped lead to an agreement with Esperance for him to take charge of the Tunisian side.
Franco has also managed Tanzanian club Simba, giving him previous experience of the African football environment. He has also worked in the Arab region during his coaching career.
His appointment comes at an important stage of Esperance’s season. The club currently sit second in the Tunisian league with nine points from four matches.
They are also preparing for their African Champions League campaign, where they will face Libya’s Al-Suwaihli in the second preliminary round.
Franco will therefore have to quickly familiarise himself with the squad and establish his methods as Esperance prepare for their next matches.
The club’s domestic position and continental commitments mean the new coach will have limited time before competitive football resumes.
Esperance will hope Franco’s arrival provides a fresh start following Reghecampf’s departure, with the Spanish coach now beginning his work with a team competing on two fronts.
His immediate focus will be on understanding the group, overseeing training and preparing the squad for the challenges ahead in the Tunisian league and African Champions League.
For Franco, the move to Esperance represents another opportunity to work at a major African club after his recent success with Maghreb Fez and previous experience with Simba.
His first training session on Saturday will formally begin his tenure as Esperance coach, with the club now turning its attention to the fixtures ahead.
