Saint-Étienne appoints Scottish coach Ian Cathro two days after Montanier's departure

AS Saint-Étienne has found its new head coach: Ian Cathro, 39, will be officially appointed in the coming hours, just two days after the announcement of Philippe Montanier’s departure. The information was revealed on Monday by L’Équipe.

To secure the services of the Scottish tactician, the Greens reached a financial agreement with Portuguese club Estoril to buy out the final two years of his contract, which tied him to the Canaries until June 30, 2028. Cathro leaves behind two seasons in Portugal, with his best result being eighth place in Primeira Liga at the end of the 2024-2025 season — his first experience as head coach of a professional team.

Before taking on his first responsibilities as number one at Estoril, Ian Cathro built his profile in the shadow of major European clubs, almost systematically alongside Portuguese coach Nuno Espírito Santo. He was assistant coach at Valencia in Spain, at Wolverhampton and Tottenham in England, then at Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, accumulating rare international experience for a tactician of his age.

His arrival at Saint-Étienne comes in a delicate context: the Forez club will compete next season in Ligue 2, and it is precisely this reconstruction project that reportedly prompted Montanier not to extend his contract.