Santini bows out on top

Jacques Santini is stepping down as Olympique Lyonnais coach to become technical director at the club - and will be choosing his own successor.

Dramatic championship win
Santini decided not to stay on in his current position despite having led the club to this season's French first division championship after a dramatic last-game victory over RC Lens, and agreed to his new post with club president Jean-Michel Aulas.

New role
In his new role Santini will be in charge of transfers, contract negotiations and the appointment of coaches, with his first task to fill the vacancy caused by his job swap.

News confirmed
The news was confirmed on Lyon's official website, which announced: "The club has decided by mutual agreement with the coach not to renew his current two-year contract, originally signed in July 2000."
 
Coaching career
Appointed by Lyon initially as sports director before becoming coach three years later, Santini has also taken charge of FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, AS Saint-Étienne, Lille OSC, Toulouse FC and Lisieux since retiring as a player in 1983.

'The one I respect most'
When Santini began to hint at his wish to end his coaching career prior to the Lens match, former Lille player and coach Francois Brisson paid tribute to him, saying: "Of the 16 coaches I've worked under in my career, he is the one I respect most because he has a loyalty that's very rare in the game."