Deschamps departs Olympique Marseille
Reuters - Monday 02 July 2012, 09:16
Didier Deschamps quit his job at
Olympique Marseille on Monday, further fuelling speculation he
would take over from the departing Laurent Blanc as the next
France coach.
"Olympique Marseille and Didier Deschamps have agreed not to
continue their collaboration for the 2012/13 season," Deschamps
and Marseille said in a joint statement on the club's website.
Marseille said they would name a replacement for Deschamps
"in the coming days".
Deschamps joined Marseille in 2009 and led them to the
French title in 2010 in his first season.
Blanc said on Saturday he would not renew his contract as
France coach after Les Bleus were knocked out of the Euro 2012
quarter-finals.
The French federation's executive committee is due to meet
on Tuesday at the FFF headquarters in Paris.
Deschamps, who skipped France to their 1998 World Cup and
Euro 2000 titles, began his coaching career at Monaco in 2001,
leading them to the Champions League final in 2004 before
helping Juventus win back promotion to Serie A in 2007.
After a one-year sabbatical, Deschamps looked poised to take
over from Raymond Domenech after France were eliminated in the
first round of Euro 2008 but the former coach eventually kept
his job.
Deschamps, 43, replaced Belgian Eric Gerets as Marseille
coach in 2009 and gave the Provence side their first French
title in 18 years in his maiden season.
He also won three French League Cup titles in a row with
Marseille, who, however, had a mediocre 2011/12 season,
finishing 10th.