Jose Anigo to be removed from role as Marseille sporting director

MARSEILLE - Jose Anigo will not only lose his role as head coach when Argentine Marcelo Bielsa takes over next season, but also his job as sporting director, Marseille president Vincent Labrune said Thursday.

The interim boss will instead find himself pushed into a role as a scout for Africa and parts of western Europe, while Bielsa will be given greater influence than just the day-to-day training of the team.

Last week, Marseille officially announced that Bielsa, the former Argentina, Chile and Athletic Bilbao boss, would be taking over from Anigo at the end of the season.

Anigo, who has spent 25 years with Marseille, had stepped into the breach in December when Elie Baup was fired.

"Jose told me at the beginning of the year that he wanted to quit his role as sporting director and to leave, geographically, the city of Marseille," said Labrune.

Anigo, who will not be replaced in the sporting director's role, has become unpopular amongst certain hardline fans since taking over coaching duties.

In one gruesome incident, a reference was scrawled on the club's training facilities to the murder of Anigo's son last September.

"I've been with this club for around 25 years and the least you deserve is respect, which I've not had," said a visibly bitter Anigo.

"This is a decision based on family reasons rather than sporting ones.

"Even though I'm very fond of this town, it's a decision I've taken for human and family reasons."

With no new sporting director being hired, Bielsa will have greater responsibility, especially when it comes to player recruitment.

"There will no longer be a sporting director (but) with a coach, Marcelo Bielsa, who will have greater functions, a sort of technical director of the professional sector," said Labrune.