Tigana is favourite to be Santini's successor

Jean Tigana, the former Fulham manager, has emerged as the front runner to take over as coach of France. Jacques Santini is to leave the post at the end of the tournament in Portugal when he becomes the new boss at Tottenham.

The French Football Federation, headed by technical director Aime Jacquet and vice-president Michel Platini, have already launched the search for Santini's successor.

It is understood that they have whittled the list down to the final two, with Tigana edging ahead of former Manchester United centre-half Laurent Blanc.

Tigana, who lives in the south of France, held talks with his former international team-mate Platini before France's friendly against Ukraine on 6 June. He is also close to Jacquet, who steered France to their World Cup triumph in 1998, from the time when the technical director coached him during their days at Bordeaux in the early 1980s.

Tigana has not worked in football since being sacked by Fulham in April 2003. After leaving the club he was embroiled in a bitter legal battle with club owner Mohammed Fayed over unpaid wages and allowances. An industrial tribunal eventually awarded the Frenchman £455,000.

A possible sticking point with France could be Tigana's wages. Santini's salary is £375,000 while, at Fulham-Tigana earned £1.5million a year. Tigana, 49, went straight into coaching after retiring as a player at 36.