Le Portel: club information

Coach

Eric Girard is the head coach of Le Portel. Present at the club since 2012, he is assisted by Karim Diop, Arnaud Ricoux and Joris Mercier in 2023/2024. He extended for one more year for the 2024/2025 season. Miracle worker at Le Portel for 13 years, Eric Girard is preparing to leave ESSM at the end of the season.

Starting from the 2025-2026 season, Le Portel will discover a new coach. Currently leading Aix-Maurienne, Kenny Grant has signed for three years.

However, on January 26, 2026, after the historic defeat against Paris (-63), coach Kenny Grant was dismissed from his duties at ESSM Le Portel, leaving the club at the bottom with 0 wins in 17 games.

To succeed him, Le Portel chose Arnaud Ricoux, a well-known figure at the club, already coach during the promotion to Pro B in 2007.

Budget

For the 2025/2026 season, Le Portel club has a projected budget of 3.7 M€ (compared to 4.3 M€ last year, -13%), making it the 16th and last budget among the 16 clubs in BETCLIC Elite, as well as a salary mass of 1.0 M€ (last in BETCLIC Elite) - cf. DNCCG communication of October 6, 2025.

For the 2024/2025 season, Le Portel club has a projected budget of 4.3 M€ (compared to 3.7 M€ last year, +17%), making it the 14th budget among the 16 Betclic Elite clubs (cf. DNCCGCP communication of October 22, 2024).

For the 2023/2024 season, Le Portel club has a projected budget of 3.7 M€ (compared to 3.5 M€ last year, +5%), making it the 17th budget among the 18 Betclic Elite clubs (cf. DNCCGCP communication of October 12, 2023).

Training Center

Created during the 2010/2011 season, Le Portel's training center offers a dual sports and academic program. It consists of U17 regional, U18 Elite and Betclic Elite Prospects.