Printant appointed Bastia coach until season's end

BASTIA, France - Ghislain Printant has been appointed coach of French Ligue 1 strugglers Bastia until the end of the season, the club announced on Twitter Thursday.

Printant has held the post on an interim basis since the sacking last month of Claude Makelele, and has earned four points in his last two matches with the Corsican outfit.

Former France midfielder Makelele's first stint in the managerial hot-seat was brought to a premature end early last month.

Makelele, 41, was appointed in the summer but lasted just 12 Ligue 1 games in charge of the Corsicans, winning two.

Bastia are just one point above the drop zone.

Printant arrived in Bastia in 2010 from Montpellier where he was deputy coach, and ran the first team training sessions in Corsica.

It will be the 53-year-old's first official coaching position with a Ligue 1 side.