Strasbourg and coach Antonetti part ways after American investors agree to buy stake

STRASBOURG, France (AP) — Veteran coach Frederic Antonetti and French league club Strasbourg parted ways Tuesday ahead of the new season following the arrival of new American investors.

The 61-year-old Antonetti was hired in February and helped the team remain in the top flight with six wins and four draws in his 15 league matches in charge.

“Frederic had a mission, and he accomplished it perfectly,” Strasbourg president Marc Keller said. “But it's the start of a new cycle and I'm convinced it's better to stop on that good note.”

Antonetti's departure comes in the wake of an agreement between the club and BlueCo, the consortium which purchased Chelsea last year.

“A new era is dawning with the arrival of new investors who will provide the club with new resources,” Antonetti said. “In this fast-changing Ligue 1, which is undergoing profound upheavals, I wish them every success. The people of Strasbourg deserve it.”

Strasbourg won its only French league title in 1979 and the last of its three French Cups in 2001.

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