Tigana to remain as Bordeaux coach

Jean Tigana insists he is still motivated to coach Bordeaux after club officials rejected his offer of resignation.

Tigana announced his intention to step down from the role after a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Lorient last weekend, before a 3-0 victory over Auxerre on Saturday left the 2008-09 Ligue 1 champions sitting 10th on the table.

But club president Jean-Louis Triaud on Monday denied his request, saying Tigana still had plenty to offer.

“Jean told us he wanted to resign. We refused the offer. We have started a project and an adventure with him. We want to carry it through. He has sole authority over the first-team and we are happy with this denouement,” Triaud said.

Tigana, who also coached Lyon, Monaco and Fulham, said he felt like he was holding Bordeaux back.

“I offered to resign because I thought I was a brake and I don’t like being a brake. Jean-Louis Triaud and Nicolas de Tavernost (chief executive of private TV channel M6) proved to me that I wasn’t a brake and that we could carry on working together.”

“I’m still motivated to coach Les Girondins, even more so now that I have the total confidence of everybody. I doubted that – although I knew the board had faith in me – and now the doubt has been lifted.”

Added de Tavernost: “Jean Tigana has always had our full confidence.”

“It’s our 11th season at the club. We’ve taken some risks and we’re experiencing some very difficult periods that don’t conform to our investment in the club.”

“The questions about the coach were inopportune because we had five difficult months with another coach and we don’t want to continue to live through that what we’ve experienced for 13 months.”