Didier Digard praises Blue Crow Sports Group’s top executive: “He understood our vision very quickly”

In his first press conference since the end of last season, Le Havre head coach Didier Digard explained the reasons behind his contract extension. He also discussed the importance of a conversation with Ben Guill, the head of Blue Crow Sports Group, which owns HAC.

By Sébastien Buron in Le Havre
Published July 23, 2026, at 4:26 p.m.

Digard had not spoken publicly since extending his contract on June 11. Nearly two weeks after the team returned to training, the Le Havre coach addressed the media Thursday in the lounge of France’s oldest football club.

Although Digard discussed several topics, he made a point of highlighting the role Ben Guill, the American owner of Blue Crow Sports Group, played in renewing his contract. When asked what persuaded him to sign a one-year extension with an option for an additional year, Digard answered candidly.

“We had a meeting with the president and the owner, Ben Guill, two or three days after our vacation began. I really want to distinguish him personally from the Blue Crow group and mention him by name. Everything was clear and straightforward.

“I want to thank him for his personal involvement because it required his time, and he traveled to meet with us. He understood our vision very quickly—the vision I had presented from the beginning and that the president already understood, but which we needed to explain because, ultimately, he is the person funding it.”

“He understood that the club was far more important than any of us and that what we wanted was to help it evolve,” Digard emphasized. “What motivates me, quite simply, is this club and its development. My personal fulfillment comes through the development of this club.”

Although the conversation carried tremendous weight, Digard had barely known Ben Guill beforehand.

“I had only met him once, before a home match, although I no longer remember which one. But that conversation was very different from the one we later had and from the man I came to know through his principles.

“If we are here today, if the club is in Ligue 1 and if we now have the resources available to try to grow this club, it is thanks to him.”

“A field costs €1 million. That is significant—these are not easy investments to make or for everyone to understand.”

— Didier Digard

The former Nice coach also discussed the priorities he emphasized to Blue Crow’s leader and the owner of France’s oldest football club.

“The development of the club may seem trivial to some people, but it is extremely important when you want to build a successful club capable of performing over time.

“It means having a new hybrid field. A field costs €1 million. That is significant—these are not easy investments to make or for everyone to understand, especially given our circumstances.

“It also means expanding our training center, which will give us better working conditions and allow us to focus and invest even more in player development. Those improvements also involve substantial costs.”

“People who primarily come from the business world can sometimes be resistant to these things. But he had the open-mindedness to understand that if we wanted to take the next step, help this club continue moving forward and support its continued growth, this was an essential stage,” Digard concluded.