Stade Malherbe Caen is mourning Jean Deshayes, the former president who helped steer the Norman club through an ambitious period before its rise in French football. Deshayes died on Saturday 3 October at the age of 89.
He led Caen between 1982 and 1984, when the club was still operating in an amateur landscape and moving between the third and second tiers of the French game.
Quick facts
- Jean Deshayes has died aged 89.
- He was Stade Malherbe Caen president from 1982 to 1984.
- Caen won promotion to Division Two in the 1983-84 campaign.
- The decisive victory came against Lisieux, then coached by Jacques Santini.
- His son Franck later worked in Caen’s youth set-up and became a club coach.
The 1983-84 season became the defining moment of Deshayes’ presidency. Caen secured promotion to Division Two by defeating Lisieux, whose manager at the time was Jacques Santini.
It was an early step in Malherbe’s gradual development, with the club’s aspirations beginning to outgrow its amateur-era surroundings.
The Deshayes family’s connection with Caen continued after Jean’s time in the boardroom. His son Franck came through the club’s youth teams before later becoming involved in player development at Malherbe.
Caen offered its condolences to Deshayes’ family and those close to him, paying tribute to a former leader from an important chapter in the club’s history.
