Stade Brestois relaunches King Eric cap in Ligue 1 tribute to Roy

Stade Brestois 29 has relaunched the “King Eric” cap in memory of Éric Roy, the former coach who died from cancer at the age of 58 on 17 June. The club announced the initiative on Friday, around two and a half months after his death and only weeks after the end of the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 season. The cap is available from the official club shop and the club’s online store.

The club has linked the tribute to a direct cause. Proceeds from every sale will be donated to INNOVEO, the Brest University Hospital’s endowment fund, specifically to support its oncology department. Stade Brestois said the initiative would also recognise the hospital teams for their care, dedication and commitment to patients, including the support given to Roy during his illness.

“ A cap to pay tribute. A cap to support a cause,” the club said in announcing the reissue. The wording captures the two purposes of the project: to preserve an object strongly associated with Roy’s time in Brittany and to direct the money raised towards the medical service connected to his treatment. The cap is therefore being presented as both a supporter item and a fundraising vehicle.

Roy had worn the cap regularly during his time at Stade Brestois. His family had kept the seriousness of his illness private from the players and the wider public. The headwear also helped conceal the effects of his treatment. Loetitia Roy later explained that she had encouraged him to wear one because chemotherapy could cause him to lose his hair.

“From the beginning, I told him, for example, to wear a cap,” Loetitia Roy said in an interview with Le Parisien. “Because with chemotherapy, he risked losing his hair. So he put on a cap, and it became emblematic of his time in Brest.” That personal detail explains why the “King Eric” design became closely connected with Roy, beyond its role as a piece of club merchandise.

The reissued cap now carries several layers of meaning for Stade Brestois. It recalls Roy’s contribution to the Breton club, reflects the courage associated with his private battle against cancer and acknowledges the hospital staff who treated him. The club’s decision to support oncology care also gives the tribute a practical purpose rather than limiting it to a commemorative gesture.

Roy’s death came shortly after the conclusion of the 2025-2026 Ligue 1 campaign, leaving him remembered as an important figure in Stade Brestois history and in French football more broadly. The club’s current Ligue 1 season has begun with Stade Brestois in sixth place after one match. Its record is one draw and no wins or defeats, with two goals scored and two conceded.

The early league record follows a mixed recent run. Before the opening Ligue 1 match, Stade Brestois lost 0-2 to Al Wakrah, drew 2-2 with Concarneau, drew 1-1 with Angers, lost 1-2 to Strasbourg and lost 0-1 away to Paris Saint-Germain. The team’s next competitive fixture is away to Le Havre AC in Ligue 1 on 5 September 2026. Before that match, the “King Eric” initiative will keep Roy’s memory visible around the club while directing supporter spending towards oncology services in Brest.