Halilhodzic is sacked by Paris SG
 |  Thumbs up to the fans in December. Now it's thumbs down for Halilhodzic |
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PARIS, France -- Paris Saint Germain coach Vahid Halilhodzic has been sacked, the French first division club announced on Tuesday night.
The escalating crisis at France's second biggest club took on a new dimension following the 2-0 loss to lowly Lens in a league game at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.
That left the capital side in the bottom half of the table with just four points from six games this year and only the French Cup to play for until the end of the season.
PSG said in a statement: "The PSG board have ended their working relationship with coach Vahid Halilhodzic. A press conference will take place on Wednesday at Saint-Germain-en-Laye (to the west of Paris) after training."
Potential successors are two of the present coaching staff -- reserve team coach Laurent Fournier and the man responsible for recruitment, former France international defender Alain Roche.
Another name in the frame is former Strasbourg coach Antoine Kombouare, who like the other two also played for PSG.
The Lens game was marked by widescale disaffection from the PSG fan base with their supporters in the 34,000 crowd refusing to cheer for their side and raising banners demanding that the Bosnian-born Halilhodzic step aside.
There were also racist taunts at black players in the Lens side, neo-nazi banners and insults hurled at the directors' box, especially at club chairman Francis Graille.
It was all a long haul from last season when a revitalised PSG finished runners-up in the French first division and won the French Cup.
A former Yugoslav international, Halilhodzic, who made his coaching reputation at Lille, was hailed as the saviour of the underachieving side and much was expected this year.
But a huge debt burden meant he had to sell star Brazilian midfielder Ronaldinho to Barcelona and there was little cash to bring in new players.
A disastrous Champions League campaign and poor league form angered the fans and Halilhodzic's aloof and authoritarian manner only worsened the situation.
But with the club facing meltdown, Halilhodzic refused to bow to the pressure to resign.
"It's so sad to have an atmosphere like that at the Parc des Princes. We are just not getting the results and I am getting the blame for it all," he said after the Lens game.
"But I believe in the work we are doing and I intend to continue with as much determination as I can. I don't know what is going to happen next."
