Santini is named France's new coach

France's newly appointed coach Jacques Santini has no plans for big changes in French soccer despite the national team's World…

France's newly appointed coach Jacques Santini has no plans for big changes in French soccer despite the national team's World Cup failure.

The 50-year-old former France international defender, who steered Olympique Lyon to their first French league title last season, said he wanted to consult his predecessors in the job.

Santini would like to hold talks with 1998 World-Cup winning coach Aime Jacquet and Roger Lemerre, who was sacked two weeks ago, "about everything that's happened".

Santini also hinted he would ask Rene Girard, Lemerre's assistant, who was one of the four candidates on a short-list for the top coaching post, to stay on.

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