Santini: I want Spurs job

Come and get me: Jacques Santini

14 April 2012

Jacques Santini, the man who has guided France to Euro 2004 with an unblemished record, has thrown his hat in the ring for the job as the new manager of Tottenham.

The 52-year-old took over a demoralised France team after the 2002 World Cup debacle when the reigning world champions came home after the first round without scoring a goal.

Roger Lemerre, who has also been linked with Spurs, was immediately sacked and Santini appointed. But despite a 100 per cent record in qualifying for Portugal, Santini has yet to be offered a new deal by the French Football Federation.

His existing agreement expires at the end of June and the French do not want to discuss a new deal until after the Euro 2004 final in early July.

Santini is clearly upset at this apparent lack of commitment by the FFF and admitted that he will listen to any offers to take over at club level.

"If Tottenham contact me and they want to talk then I will listen," Santini said. "I have always thought that one day I might manage abroad and the Tottenham job would interest me if they wanted me to go there."

That news may well alert the powers at White Hart Lane. They are looking for a man with a proven track record to take over from acting manager David Pleat, who will then revert to his director of football role. Other names in the frame are Claudio Ranieri, Giovanni Trapattoni, Martin O'Neill and Jose Mourinho.

Santini, whose son Sebastian went to university in London, would certainly meet the criteria. Before taking on the France national job, he had a highly successful connection with Olympique Lyonnais.

He was technical director for three years and then coach for two seasons from 2000 until 2002. Under his guidance, Lyon won the French league cup in his first year and the league championship in his second season.

Santini was the popular choice to replace Lemerre and France eased their way to Euro 2004 and will meet England in their first game in Lisbon on 13 June.

But along the way, Santini has showed that he will not be intimidated by dealing with big name players. Nicolas Anelka and Emmanuel Petit were both dealt with unceremoniously when they clashed with him.

As a player, he had a successful career alongside Michel Platini in the St Etienne team of the mid-Seventies and won four league championship medals.

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