SoccerNews.com

Former Lyon and Portsmouth boss Alain Perrin was on Tuesday named as the new manager of Saint Etienne, club president Bernard Caiazzo revealed.

Perrin is due to sign a two-and-a-half year contract on Wednesday.

He takes over from Laurent Roussey who was sacked by the fallen French giants on Monday after a weekend loss to Rennes plunged ‘les Verts’ into the relegation zone.

Caiazzo told AFP: “Alain Perrin made a very good impression on us. He comes across as someone who is very professional and experienced.

“I believe he will form a good team with Damien Comolli, our new sporting director.”

Tottenham’s sacked sporting director Comolli was hired by Saint Etienne in the same role after Sunday’s 3-0 home loss to Rennes brought a ninth league loss in 13 outings for the club where Michel Platini, now UEFA president, made his name in the 1970s and early 1980s.

The 52-year-old Perrin has been without a club since guiding Lyon to their seventh league title last June.

He is expected to bring with him to the stade Geoffrey-Guichard Christophe Galtier, his assistant at Lyon and Portsmouth.

Saint Etienne have won the league title ten times but the last time was in 1981 – when Roussey was a member of the team – while in 1976 they were a feared name on the continent, losing the European Cup final to Bayern Munich.

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