Former Morocco international Adil Hermach open to coaching future in Africa 

Former Morocco international Adil Hermach says he is open to new coaching opportunities, including the possibility of working in Africa or his home country.

The 39-year-old, who enjoyed a playing career with Lens and Toulouse before earning 24 caps for Morocco between 2008 and 2014, recently ended his spell as head coach of Nîmes Olympique.

He had been in charge of the French club for just over a year, guiding them through 40 matches before stepping down in June following relegation to the French fourth tier.

Hermach reflected on both the challenges and lessons of his first major managerial role.

All good things must come to an end. It was an idyllic start because I managed to save the club over the last six matches of the 2023/24 season. We needed four wins and we got them. Last season was the first where I really had to do everything from A to Z. There were positives, but unfortunately the big black mark was relegation. Still, I learned a lot and gained valuable experience. Nîmes Olympique will be reborn, there are no worries, he said.

Hermach also spoke candidly about the difficulties behind the scenes at Nîmes.

It’s very complex to talk about the atmosphere in Nîmes. It was the president against the supporters, the president against the city. I once said after a match: ‘Nîmes Olympique rhymes with politics.’ That’s not possible. The working environment wasn’t healthy, but I accepted the challenge, he explained.

Since his departure, Hermach has been enjoying rare downtime.

We’re still on vacation a bit, while we wait for a good project. It’s also good, when your whole life you’ve hardly had a summer vacation, to have this time. It allows you to refocus, he said.

Looking ahead, the former midfielder insists he is being patient as he waits for the right opportunity.

I hope to be able to join the BEPF class. But first I’m going to rest, to recover a little mentally because it was a very trying year. Then we’ll wait to find an interesting project, he said.

Hermach confirmed he has received some offers, though none have yet materialised into the right role.

There were a couple of small contacts. The only time it went further, I ultimately decided not to go. It was to be an assistant at a pretty good club. But Africa, it’s true, that appeals to me too. Morocco as a former international, for example. We’re waiting to have more concrete contacts here, he revealed.

For now, Hermach remains out of contract, weighing his options carefully.

Whether his next chapter lies in Africa, Morocco or Europe, he insists he is ready for a fresh challenge once the right project comes along.