Raoul Savoy signed with MC El Eulma this week, marking his second coaching stint in Algeria after an interrupted tenure with MC Oran in 2012. His mission is to guide the team to qualify for an African competition next season. Currently standing 10th in the league, Savoy expressed his readiness for this new challenge, referring to it as “one more commando operation.”
“We are currently tenth in the standings, but we have a game in hand. We will play two matches in eight days. They will already be crucial,” mentioned Savoy, emphasizing the importance of upcoming matches. Depending on the winner of the Cup, securing a 5th position might be enough for MC El Eulma to secure a spot in an African competition by the end of the year.
Raoul Savoy takes over from Rachid Belhout, who was dismissed on Sunday.
Savoy’s Coaching Journey: A former Swiss goalkeeper, Raoul Savoy transitioned to coaching in 1999 after ending his playing career due to a shoulder injury. He began his coaching career in Switzerland with FCBT 99, a 3rd division team. Two years later, he moved to Africa, joining Tonnerre de Yaoundé in Cameroon.
During his time with Tonnerre de Yaoundé, Savoy led the Cameroonian club to the final of the African Confederations Cup, although they lost the continental trophy. In 2003, he joined CODM (Moroccan D1) for two seasons, winning the Moroccan championship and qualifying the team for the African Cup after a 10-year absence. In 2005, he was named the best coach in Morocco.
His coaching journey continued in Morocco with Chabab Mohammedia (D1), where he saved the team from relegation. In 2006, he concluded his Moroccan experience with Ittihad in Tangier, securing qualification for the semi-finals of the Morocco Cup for the first time in the club’s history.
He later took on a challenging role coaching the Ethiopian national team before accepting a contract with the Swaziland national team.
