The news of Brest's death, Eric Rouas, who left life at the age of 58, caused French football, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, as his family announced today.
Ruah had kept his illness secret for three and a half years, while continuing his work in her technical leadership Brest. He took over the team in January 2023, returning to the benches after a decade of absence, at a time when the club was considered a favourite for relegation.
Éric Roy est décédé à l'âge de 58 ans, a announcer sa famille.
Joueur, il aura porté les couleurs de Nice, Toulon, Marseille, Lyon, Sunderland, Troyes et du Rayo Vallecano. Il entraînait le Stade brestois depuis 2023.
Toutes nos pensées et notre soutien vont à sa famille et ses... pic.twitter. com/yBIr3sTmdZ— CANAL+ Foot (@CanalplusFoot) June 17, 2026
Under his guidance, Brest made one of the biggest surprises of recent years in European football, taking third place in Ligue 1 in the 2023–24 season and securing for the first time in her history participation in European events. This course gave Roua and the award of the top coach of the year to the French championship.
"The period spent in Brest was one of the most beautiful of his life. He gave him strength, joy and reason to continue, even in the most difficult times," his family said in an announcement.
"With his players he created a rare and special bond. He loved them deeply and was proud, really proud, for being their coach", added to the announcement.
Before following a career as coach and athletic director in clubs such as Niss, Lance, and Watford, Rua had erased a long course as a footballer in the 1990s. Fighting in the defensive position, he recorded more than 300 entries on French courts with the jerseys of Nis, Leon and Marseille, and also passed through English Sunderland.