French giants Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain both announced managerial changes on Tuesday, adding further spice to one of the most intriguing seasons in recent French soccer history.
Marseille, who lead Ligue 1 on goal difference from Bordeaux, were first off the mark when they announced that French World Cup hero Didier Deschamps would take over from Eric Gerets.
The Belgian has guided the southern giants to within striking distance of their first league crown since 1992, but he announced last week that he would leave, citing a lack of support from club owner Robert Louis-Dreyfus.
PHOTO: AFP
Hours later, bitter rivals PSG followed suit by confirming that Paul Le Guen’s contract would not be renewed when it expires at the end of the season.
Sport daily L’Equipe reported earlier on Tuesday that Le Guen’s exit had been hastened after he clashed with PSG chairman Sebastien Bazin over control of the transfer policy at the club.
Both Gerets and Le Guen had been expected to seek pastures new at the end of the campaign, but the news of their departures arrives at a pivotal time in the season for their success-starved clubs.
PHOTO: AFP
With four games remaining, leaders Marseille, who won their last league title in 1992, are one goal ahead of Bordeaux, while PSG are a point behind Lyon in fourth place in the race for Champions League qualification.
Lyon coach Claude Puel, meanwhile, could pay the price for the seven-time champions’ poor season with his own job in the summer.
Deschamps, 40, remains France’s most decorated player, having led Marseille to the 1993 Champions League title — their last major honor — before skippering his country to the 1998 World Cup on home soil and the European Championship two years later.
His first foray into coaching saw him guide Monaco to a shock appearance in the 2004 Champions League final and he then led Italian heavyweights Juventus to promotion from Serie B following their demotion for match-fixing.
He will take over from Gerets in June on a two-year contract.
“The choice of Didier Deschamps, whose career both as a player and a coach prove his merits, was a natural one to make,” a statement from Marseille said. “The priority remains to do everything possible to try to win the championship. In this respect, the club knows it can trust Eric Gerets, an accomplished professional, whose determination and skill will be decisive in the title race.”
Le Guen began his coaching career at Rennes, but established his reputation in a three-year stint at Lyon during which he led the side to three league titles.
After a disastrous eight-month spell in charge of Scottish giants Rangers, he returned to PSG in January 2007, narrowly sparing the team from relegation in his first two seasons and securing the League Cup last year.
“Paris Saint-Germain announce their decision not to renew, after almost three years of collaboration, the contract of their coach Paul Le Guen that expires on June 30 2009,” a statement on the PSG Web site said. “The name of his successor will be announced in the coming weeks and Paul Le Guen will continue with his full duties until the end of his contract.”
Valenciennes coach Antoine Kombouare has been tipped to replace Le Guen, who can console himself with the thought that he won’t be the only big-name on the managerial merry-go-round this summer.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to