Lille fires coach Bielsa after suspended him last month

By AP
Published

LILLE, France (AP) Lille has fired coach Marcelo Bielsa after suspending him last month following poor results.

The club said in a brief statement on Friday it has ''terminated the contract'' with the Argentine coach.

After finishing 11th last season, Lille hired Bielsea with the lofty aim of qualifying for the Champions League.

Lille also recruited more than a dozen new players, but the team struggled badly. Lille is in 18th place ahead of Saturday's game at Dijon.

A four-man coaching team has been in provisional charge of Lille since Bielsa's suspension.

Bielsa returned to France two years after abruptly quitting Marseille amid a contract dispute. Having said he would sign a new contract, he walked out after just one game in August 2015. One year later, the hot-tempered coach quit Italian club Lazio two days after signing in July 2016.