Baup takes the reins at OM
05/07/2012
Just days after the departure of Didier Deschamps, Marseille have signed former Saint-Etienne, Bordeaux and Toulouse boss Elie Baup as the club's new head coach on a two-year deal.
OM had to move quickly to avoid disruption to the side's pre-season preparations, but just days after Deschamps' departure, the nine-time French champions secured the services of experienced Ligue 1 coach Elie Baup.
The 57-year-old, who coached FC Girondins de Bordeaux to the Ligue 1 title in 1999, signed a two-year contract with the southern giants and will meet up with his new charges at their training camp in Crans Montana, Switzerland, where he will be presented to the press on Thursday.
Experience
A former goalkeeper denied a professional career by a car accident at age 20, Baup turned his hand to coaching and enjoyed stints with four Ligue 1 clubs - Saint-Etienne (1994-96 and 2004-06), Bordeaux (1998-2003), Toulouse (2006-08) and Nantes (2008-09) - before taking the reins at OM.
His arrival at the Stade Vélodrome marks a return to the coaching world after a three-year hiatus. His last Ligue 1 position, with Nantes, was ended by mutual consent after the club slipped back down to Ligue 2 in their promotion season in 2008-09, and since then he has been a regular football consultant for Canal+.