Lucien Favre is the latest name to be linked with the vacant manager’s role at Celtic.
The Daily Mail reported on Monday night that the 63-year-old was interested in taking up the position at Parkhead.
Favre was sacked by Borussia Dortmund in December in the wake of a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Stuttgart, the team’s third loss in five matches (via BBC Sport).
He has been ‘heavily linked’ with a move to Lyon to replace outbound coach Rudi Garcia, according to the Daily Mail, but may now have fallen down the pecking order of the French club’s favoured options.
Dortmund problems may crop up again at Celtic
Reacting to the rumour, Bundesliga journalist Stefan Bienkowski said that Favre had the CV but perhaps not the character for the Celtic job.
“Lucien Favre would be an interesting appointment for Celtic,” he wrote on Twitter.
“Undoubtedly a good coach – he’s proved that at a number of clubs – but I do wonder if his quiet, reserved demeanour would be a poor fit for Celtic, as it was at Dortmund.
“Having said that, he’s 100x better than Roy Keane.”
Derek Rae, ESPN’s lead commentator for the German top flight, added that Favre’s personality “seemed not to match the emotional nature of the club”.
According to the Daily Mail, Eddie Howe, Enzo Maresca, Roy Keane, Chris Wilder, Steve Clarke and current interim boss John Kennedy were already under consideration before Favre expressed an interest.
Transfer Tavern verdict
Celtic have given themselves plenty of time to mull over this appointment. It’s been over a month now since Neil Lennon resigned, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the decision didn’t come for another while yet.
There are no excuses for not finding the right fit. CVs are important, but they matter little if there is a clash in identity. Equally, having the right temperament only gets you so far.
These are factors which Celtic must consider before deciding whether to pursue or ignore Favre, or Keane for that matter.
In other news, Celtic are reportedly keen to secure one man’s Parkhead future.