Football
Ian Holyman, France correspondent 9y

Lille boss Rene Girard vows to battle on despite Ligue 1 struggles

Lille coach Rene Girard says he is not intending to cede to fan pressure and quit his job with the Ligue 1 club.

Girard, 60, guided Montpellier to a surprise Ligue 1 title success in the 2011-12 campaign, and enjoyed an excellent first season at Lille when he steered the side to a third-placed finish last term.

However, having missed out on the Champions League group stage after losing a playoff to Porto, Lille have struggled, and head into this weekend's encounter at Bastia in 11th place, nine points off fourth, which offers a route into the Europa League.

After recently seeing fans place a "Girard quit" banner outside the club's training ground, the former Bordeaux midfielder heard demands for him to resign during the weekend's goalless home draw with Nice.

However, Girard told media that, for now, he is hoping to ride out the storm.

"I'm here, I'm ready. I haven't resigned, and it's not today that I will do it. We'll have time to talk about my future later," Girard, who signed a three-year deal in summer 2013, said. "The truth will out on the pitch, and I don't worry about what is said elsewhere. We just need to get on a good run to move forward."

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