Bathenay the man for Sedan

CS Sedan-Ardennes coach Henri Stambouli has been sacked and replaced by Dominique Bathenay, the French Ligue 1 club announced today.

Nantes defeat
Sedan were beaten 4-1 by FC Nantes Atlantique last night in a league game to leave them 16th in the 20-team division with 24 points from 23 matches. Stambouli, 41, is to be replaced by former international midfield player Bathenay until the end of the season.

President comments
Sedan president Pascal Urano said: "This decision became necessary in order to put back the team in the right way. However, we will see with calm and with poise what we will do and how we will do it." Urano added that Stambouli would stay at the club "but we'll see in which post".

'Emergency situation'
The club's sporting director Jean-Marc Pellissier said: "Bathenay is with the club until June 2003. Whether or not his contract with us is renewed will be decided by whether or not the club achieve their objective. We needed to find someone fast. We knew Dominique Bathenay, he came to see us a few times and we knew his qualifications. We were in an emergency situation, but we know he is up for the challenge."

Notable career
As a player Bathenay won the French Cup a record five times - three with AS Saint-Etienne and twice with Paris Saint-Germain FC - as well as three league championships with Saint-Etienne. He was also awarded 20 international caps, playing in the 1978 FIFA World Cup group game against Argentina. From 1996 until 2000 he was head of the organising committee of the French Cup. Among the clubs he has coached are Stade de Reims, Saint-Etienne and Olympique de Nîmes, although he has never led a Ligue 1 side before.