Smicer joins Bordeaux as coach leaves

Czech midfielder Vladimir Smicer has joined Bordeaux from European champions Liverpool as a free agent on a two-year deal, the Ligue 1 club said. Bordeaux also announced that coach Michel Pavon, who suffers from a heart condition, was stepping down for...

Czech midfielder Vladimir Smicer has joined Bordeaux from European champions Liverpool as a free agent on a two-year deal, the Ligue 1 club said.

Bordeaux also announced that coach Michel Pavon, who suffers from a heart condition, was stepping down for health reasons but would stay on as a scout.

Smicer, who scored Liverpool's second goal in their stunning Champions League final victory over Milan last month, has had a difficult season on Merseyside.

"The victory in the final is the best moment of my career but after six years at Liverpool, it was time for me to go," the 32-year-old said.

"France was a natural choice as my family and I have got good memories of this country."

Smicer played for RC Lens from 1996 to 1999, winning the league title and the League Cup.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.