Fernandez charged with saving fallen Reims

Former Paris St Germain and Athletic Bilbao coach Luis Fernandez has agreed to take over as coach at struggling French second division side Reims, club sources said on Thursday.

The much-travelled Fernandez, 49, has been working as a television commentator since he stood down as manager at Real Betis in Spain in June 2007, but he has always said that he would be ready to return to coaching if the offer was right. Reims are currently bottom of France's second divison, a long way from their glory days of the 1950s and 60s when they were one of the best teams in Europe rivalling with the great Real Madrid side of that time. Fernandez, who also won 60 caps for France as a combative midfielder alongside Michel Platini in the 1980s, was expected to sign an 18-month contract replacing Didier Tholot.

He has also been coach at Cannes, Espanyol, Al Rayyan in Qatar and Betar Jerusalem but his greatest success to date came with the side he started at as a player - Paris St Germain - winning the European Cup for Cup winners in 1996.

REIMS, France, Friday, AFP