Deschamps leaves Juventus after Serie B win
TURIN, May 26 (Serie A) - Didier Deschamps parted company with
Juventus on Saturday night, just hours after leading the club to
the Serie B title.
The former France captain watched from the sidelines as Juve beat
Mantova 2-0 thanks to goals from David Trezeguet and Pavel Nedved,
but later the same evening it was announced he would be leaving the
Bianconeri.
A statement on the club website read: 'Juventus Football Club and
Didier Deschamps have mutually terminated their contractual
relationship that gave them both satisfaction, enthusiasm and
success.
'The coach and the club have recognised that the conditions
necessary to continue their relationship with the same satisfaction
are lacking, and therefore have decided to amicably
separate.'
Deschamps did not speak at the post-match conference following the
Mantova clash, but managing director Jean-Claude Blanc admitted
that the situation was coming to a head.
'There is no official position,' said Blanc in remarks reported by
the Gazzetta website.
'Deschamps' resignation has never been formalised. We will continue
to speak to him and we will take together a decision in the near
future.
'I want a winning Juve that lives up to its past and we will take
decisions on that basis - on a sporting as well as an economic
basis.'
Blanc admitted there were differences between the club and the
coach who wanted more money to spend in the transfer market after
steering Juve back to the top flight in his first season in charge
just a year after the club was relegated for match-fixing.
It has already been speculated that Italy's World Cup-winning coach
Marcello Lippi could be lured to Turin while Deschamps is reported
to be a target of Lyon, the Ligue 1 champions whose own boss Gerard
Houllier took charge of his final game on Saturday.
