Stéphane Masala

Stéphane Masala (born 30 August 1976) is a French professional football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of Championnat National 1 club Chambly.

In 2018, Masala coached Les Herbiers, a third-tier side, to the Coupe de France final, eventually being defeated 2–0 by first-tier giants Paris Saint-Germain.

Playing career Masala played mainly as a midfielder throughout his 19-year playing career. From 2003 to 2005, he was the captain of Orléans, and also coached one of the club's youth teams. In the final years of his playing days, he was simultaneously the captain and assistant manager of Luçon, with being the main manager. Masala retired in 2014.

Managerial career In June 2016, after spending 11 years as a coach and a player at Luçon, Masala became the assistant manager of Les Herbiers. He took the full job of manager at the club in January 2018, after his previous colleague Reculeau had been dismissed. Masala did not have the correct coaching qualifications to manage in the Championnat National, and so Les Herbiers were fined €1,170 for every match in 2018 that he managed.

Masala coached Les Herbiers to a Coupe de France final against Paris Saint-Germain in 2018, an underdog story that ended in a 2–0 defeat at the Stade de France. They played and defeated Chambly in the semi-finals of the competition. A few days after the Coupe de France Final, Les Herbiers were relegated from the Championnat National to the Championnat National 2. On 8 May 2020, Masala extended his contract with Les Herbiers for an additional two years.

In May 2022, Masala left Les Herbiers after six years at the club, joining Championnat National 2 side Créteil. In June 2023, he joined Chambly.

Personal life Masala was born in Nantes, France. his father left Sardinia when he was 16, and his mother is from Marche, Italy.

Honours

Player Luçon Championnat de France Amateur: 2012–13

Manager Les Herbiers Coupe de France runner-up: 2017–18