Bottom Top 14 club deliver ‘locker room electroshock’ by sacking two coaches, including a former French star
Ex-France midfielder David Marty has been sacked from his coaching role with struggling Perpignan, inset
Perpignan have reacted to their winless start to the new Top 14 season by sacking two assistant coaches, including a former star French midfielder.
Attack coach David Marty, who won 37 Test caps and featured at two Rugby World Cups, and defence coach Gerald Bastide, who worked with Guy Noves’ France, were both sacrificed to provide an “electroshock within the locker room” after five consecutive losses.
Perpignan were beaten 11-28 at home by Stade Francais on Saturday, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the French top flight and in the automatic Top 14 relegation position, two points behind the newly promoted Montauban.
Rather than let the situation continue unchanged in a year where they had to beat Grenoble in a play-off last June to preserve their Top 14 status after a 13th-place 2024/25 finish, Perpignan officials acted on Monday after a series of Sunday meetings in the wake of their latest 2025/26 loss.
“Careful consideration”
It was decided that two assistant coaches would lose their jobs in the hope that it could spark an on-pitch reaction, starting with next Saturday’s trip to Lyon after a sequence of respective seven, 18, 12, 23 and 17-point defeats to Bayonne, Toulouse, Racing 92, La Rochelle and Stade Francais.
A Perpignan club statement read: “This Sunday, the president and the general manager met at length with the players’ representatives, who expressed their desire to fully assume their responsibilities in the face of the poor sporting results at the start of the season.
“They also met with the staff, who, in a spirit of responsibility and in order to create an electroshock within the locker room, proposed a change in the sporting organisation.
“After careful consideration, the president brought together all the players and staff this Monday morning. He first asked the players to put their words into action, demonstrating commitment and determination truly worthy of the values of USAP.
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“It was also decided to formalise, by mutual agreement and at their confirmed request, the end of the collaboration between the club, David Marty and Gerald Bastide, who have decided to step back for the good of the team. The club would like to thank them for their commitment and professionalism throughout these years.
“The president reiterated his confidence in Franck Azema and asked him to continue his mission, supported by Mathieu Cidre and Nicolas Mas, with the aim of rectifying the sporting situation.
“After taking the time to analyse the situation with all stakeholders, these decisions are not intended to point the finger at scapegoats, but rather to create the conditions for collective awareness and a necessary reaction to rectify the situation.
“The club now wishes to focus on this single objective and will not comment on these decisions. More than ever, we will need the solidarity and support of all USAP fans for the upcoming matches.”