Demba Ba leaves Le Havre AC as sporting director amid major shake-up at club

Former Senegal international Demba Ba has left Le Havre AC just four months after being appointed the club’s sporting director.

The former Newcastle United and Chelsea striker joined the Ligue 1 outfit in June 2026 following an impressive spell as sporting director at Ligue 2 side USL Dunkerque, where he earned recognition for his work behind the scenes.

However, his stay at Le Havre has been short-lived, with the 41-year-old opting to step down amid growing uncertainty surrounding the club’s leadership and disappointing performances this season.

Ba’s departure comes just two days after Le Havre parted ways with head coach Didier Digard following a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain over the weekend.

Digard had been the second-longest-serving manager in Ligue 1, behind only Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique, before his dismissal.

The decision to sack the French tactician followed a disastrous start to the campaign, with Le Havre managing just two points from their opening nine matches, leaving them rooted to the bottom of the league standings.

The crisis has also affected the club’s hierarchy, with president Jean-Michel Roussier tendering his resignation over the weekend in protest against the decision to dismiss Digard.

Consequently, Le Havre could find themselves without a head coach, sporting director and president at the same time, leaving the club facing a major rebuilding exercise in the middle of the season.

With American ownership group Blue Crow Sports Group now confronted with the task of restoring stability, the coming weeks could prove crucial in determining the direction of the Normandy-based outfit as they battle to turn around their struggling campaign.