The man who helped France reach the final of the 2006 World Cup has decided to leave the club after only three matches in charge.

Before accepting that position, Makélélé had been out of coaching for five years, with his previous post being in Belgium as the manager of K.A.S. Eupen.

A former Ligue 1 champion with FC Nantes, who claimed back-to-back Premier League titles at Chelsea, did not mince words, calling out members of the Tripolis front office.

Makélélé told London World “They promised me full control of the team. It was my decision who played and who didn’t play. Transfers were not my responsibility,” explains the 51-year-old.

He goes on to say that in his final match in charge, members of the club asked him to bench Frenchman Darnell Bile, a decision Makélélé was not on board with.

In his last match in charge of the Greek outfit, Bile had two assists in 20 minutes of action, helping Asteras Tripolis to a 3-1 victory over Kallithea.

That was the last straw for the ex-Real Madrid player, who is eager to get back into coaching sooner rather than later.

Since retiring as a player, Makélélé served as the head coach of SC Bastia in 2014 while also having a stint as an assistant to Carlo Ancelotti at Paris Saint-Germain and serving as a youth coach with Chelsea.

During his time in management at Chelsea, the man born in Kinshasa had a hand in developing the likes of Billy Gilmour and Conor Gallagher.

The former French midfielder says he’s open to new opportunities, adding that he’s been learning from great managers since he got into coaching.

His managerial resumé is a far cry from what the former Champions League, La Liga and FA Cup champion achieved as a player, with Makélélé winning just over 29% of his matches (25 of 86) as a head coach.

GFFN | Joel Lefevre

Both the airports and ports of the island are being impacted by the ongoing strikes which began on the 3rd of October. According to Corsica-Matin, industrial action began on the 3rd of October due to fears over the management of Corsica’s ports and airports. 

Members of The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ajaccio and Bastia (CGI) are currently striking because their management of the ports and airports is under threat due to European regulations requiring that the contract renewing their control goes through a call for tenders. 

This means that there is no guarantee that the CGI can maintain management of the airports and ports and the contract could be provided to a continental French or foreign group, like what has happened to other airports and ports in mainland France. The CGI reportedly has 1200 members and they fear for their job security if management of this sector is provided to another organisation. 

GFFN | Nick Hartland

Bianchini, a former France youth international, came through the ranks at Amiens SC, before also going on to play for Châteauroux. He then joined Corsican side Bastia on a free transfer at the start of last season before going on to make 30 appearances in all competitions, netting five goals and registering six assists in Ligue 2. 

Having helped keep Bastia in France’s second flight last season, Bianchini now looks set to depart. Internal sources have informed L’Équipe that an agreement between the French side and Swansea has been reached, although the value of the transfer has not yet been revealed. It is good news for Bastia, who like many French clubs, needed to make sales this summer. 

The midfielder is expected to arrive in Wales in the coming hours to undergo a medical before signing a contract to officially become a Swansea player. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Bastia confirmed Antonetti’s arrival at the club in a press release on Wednesday. The former RC Strasbourg Alsace and FC Metz manager will join the Ligue 2 side at the end of the current campaign. One of his biggest tasks upon his arrival will be nominating a new manager. 

As confirmed by the Corsican club, Bastia will place their faith in the managerial duo of Michel Moretti and Lilian Laslandes until the end of the current campaign, with the club looking to avoid relegation to National 1. However, Bastia also confirmed that the managerial situation would evolve at the end of the season. 

L’Équipe understands that Tavenot, who was assistant to Antonetti at Strasbourg and Metz, is one of the candidates being considered for the role. The Frenchman is currently under contract at National 1 side Dijon until 2025. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

The former Metz manager will return to Bastia in a more senior role – aiding the sporting direction and vision of the football club from next season. Antonetti has a strong affinity with the Ligue 2 club. Starting and finishing his playing career with the Corsican club, Antonetti also managed Bastia for a three-year period during 1999 and 2001.

The confirmation of his appointment as technical director will see him return to his boyhood club for the first time in 21 years. Antonetti has been unemployed following a spell in charge of Strasbourg at the end of the 2023/24 Ligue 1 season. 

Moretti to remain in charge 

In the same statement, Bastia also reaffirmed their confidence in their manager Michel Moretti. Within the press release, they confirmed that the caretaker manager will remain in charge despite the club’s current struggles in Ligue 2. Relegation to the third division is a threat to the Corsican club with Bastia sitting 16th in Ligue 2 at the time of writing.  

GFFN | Liam Wraith

Okou has only made one senior appearance for the Principality club. The centre-back was on the fringes of the squad last season, often making the matchday squad, however, that has not been the case this season. Okou is yet to be included in a matchday squad this season and has featured solely with the club’s Groupe Élite.

Speaking last week, Monaco manager Adi Hütter confirmed that Okou was nearing a departure, “I hope we find a good deal with Yllan Okou because he’s a good player, and if it becomes official, I will be happy for both sides. On one side, the club get a good player, and on the other, the player gets to play. It’s important for Okou and for us,” said Hütter in a press conference, attended by Get French Football News.

Okou announced his departure from Monaco on social media on Sunday before the two clubs confirmed the deal on Monday. The French centre-back joins the Corsican side on a ‘joker’ transfer. Monaco will receive a small fee, as well as a sell-on percentage. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle 

Okou has only made one senior appearance for the Principality club. The centre-back was on the fringes of the squad last season, often making the matchday squad, however, that has not been the case this season. Okou is yet to be included in a matchday squad this season and has featured solely with the club’s Groupe Élite. 

Hütter, speaking ahead of Monaco’s match against FC Metz, has now provided clarity on Okou’s future, seeming to confirm an imminent departure, without going so far as to confirm Bastia as his eventual destination.

“I’ve said before that we have a big squad. I don’t like to train with 27/28 players when we’re only competing in domestic competitions. If you’re in Europe, you need a bigger squad. I hope we find a good deal with Yllan Okou because he’s a good player, and if it becomes official, I will be happy for both sides. On one side, the club get a good player, and on the other, the player gets to play. It’s important for Okou and for us,” said Hütter in a press conference, attended by Get French Football News.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Okou has made just one appearance for the first team, in the Coupe de France against QRM back in January 2022. The Frenchman was on the fringes of the first team for much of last season and was included in many matchday squads, despite not featuring at all in Ligue 1. However, he now seems to have fallen down the pecking order, behind Ritchy Valmé, who won the Coupe Gambardella with Les Monégasques last season. 

Whilst the transfer window is currently closed, French clubs can still make a ‘joker’ transfer. According to Corse-Matin, Bastia have made an offer for Okou, after having shown an interest earlier in the season. The Principality club were unwilling to sanction the move at the time. However, Okou is now nearing a move to the Corsican club. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

Photo credit: Luke Entwistle

Ecology and environmentalism have become increasingly prevalent in discussions about how football teams travel to and from matches, especially in France. Former Paris Saint-Germain manager Christophe Galtier came in for considerable criticism last season when he joked that the team would take a sand yacht, rather than a private jet to their away matches. It came in the wake of PSG’s decision to take a jet, rather than a two-hour train, to face FC Nantes. 

Bastia are now coming in for criticism over their mode of transport. The Ligue 2 have already travelled to Corsican rivals Ajaccio ahead of Monday night’s match. Instead of taking the bus, which would take just two hours, Bastia have hired a private jet from Nice, to allow them to then make the 15-minute flight to Ajaccio. As well as the environmental cost of the decision, the economic cost has also been called into question. Bastia have one of the lowest budgets in Ligue 2, and this journey alone will cost them €15,000. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

The club said on the proposed move: “We are enthusiastically committed to this new adventure because we strongly believe in digital tools to get closer to our fans and offer them new experiences,” explained Claude Ferrandi, Sporting’s president, in a statement. The creation of a virtual stadium will allow all the fans of our club around the world, who are not lucky enough to live nearby, to participate much more actively in the life of the club. This is definitely the future and we are proud to lead the way.”

SC Bastia join Manchester City in selling their stadium as a digital NFT, with PSG having recently been involved in NFTs on their Japan tour with virtual pre-season tickets. Players have been firmly involved in NFTs throughout football, with Karim Benzema luanching his collection last month – following Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé, Gerard Piqué, Antoine Griezmann, and Neymar who have all launched themselves into the NFT markets. 

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