Tigana takes Beşiktaş reins
Monday, October 31, 2005
Article summary
Jean Tigana has been appointed coach of Turkish Superleague side Beşiktaş JK a fortnight after Rıza Çalımbay stepped down at the Istanbul club.
Article body
French contingent
The 50-year-old former French international, who has previously been in charge of Olympique Lyonnais and AS Monaco FC in his homeland and Fulham FC in England, takes the reins with compatriot Guy Stéphan as his assistant and former world 4x100m record holder Jean-Charles Trouabal joining them as Beşiktaş's fitness trainer.
'Really impressed'
"I am happy to be here," said Tigana. "The training facilities have really impressed me. I did not expect such quality. Our first priority is to get our injured players back because there is an important [UEFA Cup] game against Sevilla [FC] ahead of us."
'Big crew'
Meanwhile, caretaker coach Mehmet Eksi has been named managing director while Çalımbay's assistants Ulvi Güveneroglu and Zeki Önatlı will continue to work at the club with Tigana. "I always work with a lot of assistants," said Tigana. "I like to have a big crew."
Two years away
Tigana has been out of football since being sacked by Premiership outfit Fulham in April 2003. Having recovered from knee surgery, Tigana - a UEFA European Championship winner with France in 1984 - now returns to the game following an unsuccessful application to become national team coach in July 2004 when the French Football Federation preferred Raymond Domenech.
