French Football’s Top April Fools: Courbis, Bruel, Domenech

On April 1 2014, Montpellier manager Rolland Courbis called club president Louis Nicollin to announce his resignation, only to reveal it was a joke. The prank was revealed after the call, and Courbis remained in charge as the team avoided relegation.

In 2021, Chamois Niortais announced singer Patrick Bruel as sporting director, a move that shocked fans and became a viral joke. The following year, US Reventin posted that former national coach Raymond Domenech would take the bench of its third‑team in the district leagues, another tongue‑in‑cheek prank.