Gourcuff steps down as Rennes appoints Labouchi

In one fell swoop, Rennes has said goodbye to its beloved manager and named his successor.

Les Rouges et Noirs announced Wednesday the club had parted ways with Christian Gourcuff on mutual terms, naming former France international midfielder Sabri Lamouchi as its new gaffer.

Gourcuff and his entire staff resigned late Tuesday after former club president Rene Ruello stepped down and was subsequently replaced by ex-Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Olivier Letang.

Ruello brought Gourcuff to the Roazhon Park for a second stint after previously managing there in 2001-02, and the former Rennes executive was shocked at the news. "He confirmed his resignation to me, yes. I didn't know it was going to happen. It's devastating," Ruello told Ligue 1's official website.

Reports out of France suggest Gourcuff and Letang did not see eye to eye, prompting an exit for the manager whose son, Yoann, has been in the Rennes first-team since a 2015 move from Lyon.

Gourcuff's departure marks the first time in Ligue 1 history where a manager has stepped down after winning four matches on the bounce, with Rennes climbing to 10th in the table on the heels of a weekend defeat of Bordeaux.

Lamouchi, who last managed Qatari lot El-Jaish after a spell at the helm of the Ivory Coast, was one of two reportedly short-listed for the Rennes job, beating out former Saint-Etienne boss Christophe Galtier.