Queens Park Rangers manager Julien Stéphan is attracting interest from Ligue 1 and could leave the Championship side, according to claims from France.

The 45-year-old started his coaching career at Stade Rennais in 2015 and left them for RC Strasbourg in 2021 before returning to the club in 2023.

After spending two years, he left Stade Rennais for the second time and made a switch to QPR in June 2025.

The Frenchman has managed 47 matches for QPR of which 45 are in the Championship.

His league record with QPR are as follows:

  • Matches: 45
  • Wins: 16
  • Draws: 10
  • Loses: 19

They are now 14th in the league table, 12 points behind sixth placed Wrexham. Although it hasn’t been a productive debut season away from France, his work at QPR hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Two months ago, QPR’s Nicolas Madsen credited the manager for improving his overall game this season.

QPR boss attracting attention from France

Journalist Mohamed Toubache-Ter took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share a short update on Julien Stéphan.

He states a Ligue 1 side looking for a new manager have included the QPR manager in their shortlist. The journalist didn’t provide any further update on the details of that team or the coach’s plans for the future.

Jeunes Footeux relay this claim from Toubache-Ter and share their own take on this case.

The outlet make their own analysis to figure out which clubs could look at the former Stade Rennais boss.

After detailed analysis, they narrow it down to Toulouse FC and FC Lorient as the ‘credible destinations’ for him to return to the Ligue 1. These two clubs are most likely to make changes to their bench after this season.

Carles Martínez Novell is at Toulouse, and his contract expires in June. As things stand, he will leave them as free agent. Their president, Olivier Cloarec, had the same role at Stade Rennais when Stéphan returned in 2023.

Cloarec could convince his compatriot to leave the London club for Toulouse. Over at Lorient, manager Olivier Pantaloni has announced his decision to leave at the end of the season.

 

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