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Sochaux beats Bordeaux Marseille chairman threatens to quit over feud
PARIS (Reuters) -- Promoted Sochaux confirmed they are quick learners in the French league as they convincingly beat struggling Girondins Bordeaux 2-0 on Sunday. A nice goal by striker Pierre-Alain Frau five minutes from the break and a second by Mickael Pagis in the 75th minute helped the hosts to clinch their third victory in six games since they joined the elite and lift them up to the fifth in the table. Bordeaux, with an eye on next week's UEFA Cup match, had a very disappointing outing, proving unable to manage a single chance. Former Olympique Lyon playmaker Vikash Dhorasoo who made his debut for Bordeaux was little help for his new team. They drop one place to 14th on six points from six games, hardly the start they had hoped for after a pre-season full of championship talk. On Saturday, AJ Auxerre took the top spot thanks to a 1-0 home-win over Montpellier while RC Lens held Paris St Germain to a 2-2 draw at the Parc des Princes. In Saturday's matches, Auxerre claimed the top spot in the standings after beating Montpellier 1-0. Khalidou Fadiga came through in the 86th minute to score the single goal of the match and boost up Auxerre from last week's third place. Lens lost its leader's position, after tying 2-2 against Paris St. Germain. Auxerre and Lens both have 14 points. In other games Saturday, Olympique Lyon held Olympique Marseille to a scoreless draw, Lille, getting into shape for its Champions League match this week, beat Guingamp 1-0. Monaco marked its first season win, beating Troyes 2-0 at home. Nantes drew 1-1 with Sedan while Rennes drew 1-1 against Lorient, and Metz lost at home 0-1 to Bastia. Louis-Dreyfus seeks end to disputeMARSEILLE -- Olympique Marseille chairman Robert Louis-Dreyfus says he will quit the club if sports manager Bernard Tapie and financial director Pierre Dubiton do not end their feud. "Either the two of them get along together or they must both leave. But what can happen is I decide to leave myself. I'm not a school teacher," Marseille main shareholder Louis-Dreyfus told a local newspaper on Sunday. Tapie has been publicly at odds with financial Dubiton ever since Louis-Dreyfus asked him to return last season. The feud reached its height during the transfer campaign as Dubiton refused to pay for some of the recruits Tapie had approached. Louis-Dreyfus has put an estimated one billion French francs (US$120 million) of his personal fortune into the French first division club since 1996. "I'm still convinced that having two characters like Tapie and Dubiton can be an advantage for everybody even if it's obvious they must learn to get to know each other," he said. In an interview in daily Le Parisien, Tapie said on Wednesday that the club was on the verge of a major crisis. "In Marseille, the floor is littered with banana skins. Sometimes, I have the feeling some people are trying to tear everything down," he said. Tapie said he was unhappy with the signing of striker Pascal Nouma from Turkish side Besiktas. With Nouma joining the squad, Marseille had to postpone the signing of Youri Djorkaeff from Germany's Kaiserslautern. "His [Djorkaeff's] monthly wages were much to high for us," said Louis-Dreyfus. "So there is a very slim chance for him to come here." For the time being, Tapie and Dubiton will stay with Marseille but Louis-Dreyfus made it clear he wants improvements in the club's results. Marseille, who were held to a goalless draw at home by Olympique Lyon on Saturday, are 16th in the French league. "Bernard Tapie and Pierre Dubiton retain their positions. They back the team but I want to see our results improved in the very near future," he said. More involved Louis-Dreyfus also said Tapie must become more involved in the club's day to day running. Tapie who led Marseille to four French titles and the 1993 Champions League trophy was fired in the aftermath of the match rigging scandal in 1994. The former socialist Town minister spent some time in jail for match-fixing in 1997 before starting an acting career, featuring in several movies over the last few years. "You can't run a soccer club from a mobile phone," Louis-Dreyfus said. "Tapie must more present in Marseille and must spend much more time with the team. He promised it and we'll see if he sticks to his words." "Now we must give back Marseille the image of French league club like the others," Louis-Dreyfus said.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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