Gerard Houllier handed Villa job
Reuters - Wednesday 08 September 2010, 20:29
LONDON - Former Liverpool and France coach
Gerard Houllier returned to the Premier League as Aston Villa
manager on Wednesday.
The 63-year-old Frenchman succeeded Martin O'Neill who quit
last month just days before the start of the new season.
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"I am very happy and proud to join this great and historic
club," Houllier told Villa's website.
"It was a very difficult decision for me to leave the FFF
(French Football Federation) but I could not turn down the
opportunity to manage a club whose approach, both on and off the
pitch I have long admired.
"Aston Villa is one of England's biggest clubs and has an
amazing set of fans. This is a tremendous challenge and one I am
very much looking forward to taking on."
Villa chief executive Paul Faulkner said in a statement that
Houllier was the outstanding candidate to replace O'Neill.
"Two of the key qualities we identified as being of crucial
importance in our search for the new manager were experience of
managing in the Premier League and a strategy for building on
the existing strengths in our current squad and Gerard Houllier
comfortably satisfies these criteria," he said.
Houllier has managed Lens, Paris St Germain, Liverpool and
Olympique Lyon and has twice worked as technical director of the
FFF, leaving that job to move to Villa Park.
He won five trophies with Liverpool in 2001, including the
League Cup, the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup, and three French league
titles, with PSG in 1986 and Lyon in 2006 and 2007.
Houllier underwent heart surgery in 2001 after being taken
ill at a match, but returned as Liverpool manager after five
months recuperation and stayed at Anfield until 2004.
Villa have made an erratic start to the season, winning two
of their three opening league matches and being eliminated from
the Europa League by Rapid Vienna.
Houllier's first game in charge will be against Stoke City
on Monday.
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