Anigo stands down at Marseille
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Article summary
Olympique de Marseille coach José Anigo has resigned after a series of poor results at the Ligue 1 side.
Article body
Stepping up
Marseille assistant coaches Albert Emon and Jean-Philippe Durand, both former Vélodrome players like Anigo, will take charge on a temporary basis, with the club claiming they "will fill the gap" at least until after Saturday's home game against FC Nantes Atlantique. The 51-year-old Emon has led the team on an interim basis on two previous occasions, in the 2000/01 and 2001/02 seasons.
Off the pace
The final straw for Anigo was last Saturday's 2-0 defeat at AC Ajaccio, which followed consecutive Ligue 1 and French League Cup losses at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain FC earlier this month. Marseille sit seventh in the table, eleven points behind leaders Olympique Lyonnais and seemingly with no chance of a first title since 1992.
Instant success
Anigo was appointed coach in January, succeeding the sacked Alain Perrin, and enjoyed immediate success. Although he was unable to guide the club to qualification for this season's European competitions, he took Marseille to the UEFA Cup final where they lost 2-0 to Spanish champions Valencia CF.