Santini replaces Roux as Auxerre coach

Former France coach Jacques Santini has joined Ligue 1 side AJ Auxerre, replacing Guy Roux who retired on Sunday, the club said.

Santini, 53, in charge of the national squad from 2002 to 2004, had been jobless since quitting Tottenham Hotspur on November 5 after only 13 matches in charge of the English Premier League side.

The retirement of Roux, 66, on the day after Auxerre clinched their fourth domestic cup left room for Santini to return to a coaching position.

"He (Santini) has accepted this difficult task to take over from Guy Roux and we are delighted to have sealed a deal with him," Auxerre's deputy chairman Gerard Bourgoin said.

"We wanted to take a decision swiftly," Bourgoin said. "On Sunday, we summoned all the members of the board and we drew up a list of five candidates."

"I'm happy and proud to be replacing a figure such as Guy Roux who belongs to French footballing legend," Santini said.

Santini will be assisted by Dominique Cuperly who was his deputy at O. Lyon and Tottenham.

Under Roux, Auxerre won four French Cups and clinched the title in 1996, reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League the following year.

Roux announced that he wanted to quit on Sunday, after his team beat second division Sedan 2-1 in the Cup final at the Stade de France.