“As a coach, it’s over” – Marseille’s Gasset calls time on 40-year career months after AFCON debacle

Marseille coach Jean-Louis Gasset has announced he will retire after the team’s last match of the Ligue 1 season, ending a 40-year career in football management, Soccernet.football reports.

Gasset, 70, confirmed he will step down after Sunday’s game against Le Havre.

“I think Sunday, it’s the final match of my career,” 70-year-old Gasset said, as per Reuters.

“That I stay in football, use my experience, my ideas, my connections, is possible. And then I don’t know how to garden, so I won’t have anything to do. But as a coach, it’s over.”

Gasset, who was formerly assistant coach to Laurent Blanc with France and Paris Saint-Germain, took charge of Marseille in February, replacing Gennaro Gattuso.

Before that, he was the Ivory Coast coach but was sacked during the Africa Cup of Nations following a 4-0 defeat by Equatorial Guinea. Despite this, Ivory Coast went on to win the tournament.

“I wanted to finish in style. It’s an honour for me to have coached Marseille,” added Gasset.

“There were times at the Velodrome where I had goosebumps. Coaching Marseille is very demanding work.”

Under Gasset, Marseille reached the Europa League semi-finals. However, they are currently eighth in Ligue 1 and unlikely to qualify for European competitions next season.