Warmuz to sever Lens ties

RC Lens goalkeeper Guillaume Warmuz has announced that he is to leave the French Ligue 1 club.

Poor form
The club's captain said at the start of the month that he was taking a break from football following a run of poor form, including against FC Porto in the UEFA Cup third-round first leg when Warmuz made two mistakes in his side's 3-0 defeat.

'Deep passion'
Speaking at a press conference at Lens' training resort on Friday, the 32-year-old keeper said: "The break I took enabled me to analyse the situation. Football for me is a deep passion and my will to be a goalkeeper, to share emotion with my team-mates and fans is still high. But the vision I have of a goalkeeper and of a captain does not match with my current level anymore and that has pushed me to leave."

Title winner
Warmuz, who began his Lens career in 1992, helped the club clinch the title in 1998 and was ever-present in their unsuccessful UEFA Champions League first group stage campaign this season. Having made over 350 appearances for the Félix-Bollaert outfit, he admitted that he was leaving the club with "with no idea on my future destination".

'Regret his decision'
Lens' chairman Gervais Martel said: "We regret his decision. We will of course maintain our friendship and I'm sure one of these days our paths will cross again."