Auxerre seal Luyindula loan deal

Olympique de Marseille have allowed French international striker Péguy Luyindula to join UEFA Cup entrants AJ Auxerre on a year-long loan deal.

Swift exit
The 26-year-old arrived in Marseille a year ago from Olympique Lyonnais, where he had won the French league championship in three consecutive seasons from 2002. However, despite scoring ten goals in 35 league games for the UEFA Intertoto Cup hopefuls, Luyindula failed to settle at the Stade Vélodrome.

Santini reunion
The move will see the former RC Strasbourg player link up with once more with Jacques Santini - Lyon coach when the side won the Ligue 1 title in 2002. Santini will hope Luyindula can help Auxerre continue their steady start to the new campaign, while they will be seeking to improve on last season's UEFA Cup run when they were eliminated by eventual winners PFC CKSA Moskva in the quarter-finals.