Ciccolini breaks with Bastia

'We needed to act'
Ciccolini, 42, had been in charge since the start of the current campaign, but with the Corsican club lying 19th in the 20-team division Bastia president Louis Multari said: "Considering our position, we needed to act to save our side and retain our Ligue 1 spot. The decision was not easy but François Ciccolini is honest and he accepted our judgement."

Toulouse launch
Two losses in a row, including Saturday's 3-0 defeat at AS Saint-Etienne, sealed Ciccolini's fate. Former player Padovani and legendary goalkeeper Durand now have six games to make up the six-point gap to fourth-bottom AC Ajaccio and escape relegation, starting with Saturday's visit of Toulouse FC.