Deschamps to succeed Gerets at Marseille

(CNN) -- Didier Deschamps has been named to succeed Eric Gerets as coach at current French league leaders Marseille at the end of the season, the club announced on Tuesday.

Gerets said last week that he would not be renewing his contract and Marseille decided that France's 1998 World Cup winning captain, Deschamps, was the outstanding candidate to replace him.

Former Marseille captain Deschamps, who has signed a two-year contract, has been commentating on French television since leaving Italian giants Juventus where he was coach until the summer of 2007.

The 40-year-old previously had a spell in charge at Monaco having ended his playing career in 2001. "Didier Deschamps will be OM coach next season," confirmed a statement on the Marseille Web site.

Officials added: "Last Friday's meeting between the club president (Pape Diouf) and its principal shareholder (Robert Louis-Dreyfus) was able to confirm definitively this choice.

"After Eric Gerets, the club could only fix their choice on a coach of the highest standard to continue the great work already accomplished and the club's development on the playing front.

"Based on our criteria, the choice of Didier Deschamps, whose career as a player and a coach works largely in his favor, naturally won over."

Deschamps led Marseille to a Champions League triumph in 1993 and had two spells at the club as a player, between 1989-1990 and 1991-1994. He also played for Nantes, Bordeaux, Juventus, Chelsea and Valencia in a top career and was also France captain when they won Euro 2000.