Kenny Grant will finally coach Le Portel again!

ESSM Le Portel’s season has spiraled into something close to a nightmare. On January 26, after absorbing the heaviest loss in Betclic ELITE history against Paris Basketball, the club moved to part ways with head coach Kenny Grant. But ending a contract isn’t that simple — especially with financial constraints in play. Unable to finalize a clean separation, Le Portel ultimately had to bring the American-Swedish coach back to the bench.

The broader context says a lot. ESSM has already begun letting players go — Ivan Février among them — just to stay afloat financially. What’s left is a stripped-down roster: a handful of experienced pros surrounded by young players pulled from the reserve team. Grant is now tasked with guiding a season that feels more like survival mode than competition. With no official wins on the board — their lone victory having been overturned administratively — Le Portel’s chances of staying up are, realistically, all but gone.

Return to ELITE 2 with the smallest possible deficit

But at this point, the standings are no longer the priority for club president Rivoal. The focus has shifted to the bottom line — cutting costs as much as possible, even generating savings — to ensure the softest financial landing possible.

The plan is clear: return to ELITE 2 with the DNCCG’s approval, and avoid carrying a massive deficit into next season. Starting clean matters, especially in a division where Le Portel would otherwise have the profile to be competitive right away.