Sanchez to lead Valenciennes

Ligue 1 club Valenciennes have prised Daniel Sanchez from French second-tier side Tours, to replace Philippe Montanier as head coach.

Montanier took over Valenciennes in 2009, guiding the team to 12th place in the table last season before agreeing to join La Liga club Real Sociedad on Saturday.

Sanchez, 57, takes over after spending four seasons in charge of Tours, who finished 12th in the 2010-11 Ligue 2 season.

“I’m happy to be back (in the top flight) as a coach,” Sanchez said.

”Valenciennes is the place to come in Ligue 1. It is a thriving club.”

“We will stick to the spirit of the game and what has been done by my predecessors.”

“By playing well, we will get more chances to win and I want to see attacking football.”

Sanchez was reportedly in consideration for the Valenciennes job two years ago, when the club opted for Montanier to succeed Antoine Kombouare.

A striker with Nice, Paris Saint-Germain and St Etienne in his playing days, Sanchez previously coached Nagoya Grampus Eight in the Japan’s J-League.

He also worked as an assistant manager at Bordeaux, St Etienne and Nice.