Xhaka and Le Bris have formed a hugely effectively partnership on and off the pitch at Sunderland this season
"I have to balance him out," Régis Le Bris joked.
In an interview with The Times earlier this year, Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka spoke of the qualities he admired most in the many top head coaches he has played for across his career. On Le Bris, Xhaka noted his extraordinary attention to footballing detail but above all else, his ability to stay level-headed and the fact that he is never heard shouting or screaming in the dressing room or behind the scenes at the Academy of Light.
It's a quality Xhaka said he would like to develop himself if, as seems likely, he heads into coaching and management somewhere down the line. Le Bris himself says his advice for Xhaka would be that he believes it crucial that the head coach sets the tone by never being too high or too low.
However, he also believes the most important quality is authenticity and in Xhaka's case, that means leading from the front. Le Bris is no doubt that Xhaka's vocal leadership and hard work has been crucial to Sunderland's success both this season and into the future.
"It's a privilege to coach a player like Granit Xhaka, he's so demanding with himself and he creates the condition to be demanding with others," Le Bris said.
"It's not explicit but for the players and the coaching staff it lifts the standards. It's a real pleasure and a privilege to be the manager of this kind of player. After that the personality is the personality. Granit is emotional and intense and when he becomes a manager - I don't know when, there's no rush - he'll have to respect this personality as well.
"As a manager you set the tone for the players. If you are too high or too low it becomes a problem but you have to stay real to yourself as well."
Le Bris admits he was not always able to stay level-headed, but that the mistakes he made as a younger coach have been crucial in developing the management philosophy which has delivered so much success over the last two campaigns.
"When I was younger, yes [I lost my temper], but it was a big mistake," he said.
"Not really now. When I feel something to say it should be intense, at half-time sometimes, at the end of the game once or twice this season. It's important to express and stay authentic about your feelings but it's also important to stay balanced because it influences everyone.
"This is my job, so if I go up here and we need to stay balanced it's a mistake. When I was younger I had to make these mistakes to learn from them."
What Granit Xhaka said about Régis Le Bris
Speaking to The Times, Xhaka said of Le Bris: "He’s very special. The first call that I had with him, it was exactly what I was hoping he is. He’s a football freak in a positive way. He looks very deep, the details, as well with the ball, without the ball.
“I call him like a second Arsène Wenger. I went to him already about the mindset, how he can be so — not relaxed — but very calm, so you don’t see him screaming. He’s always under control and this is maybe for my future. He gives me some advice which is very helpful.”
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