Football: Sagnol to join Bayern's backroom staff

BERLIN: Former France defender Willy Sagnol is reportedly set for a return to Bayern Munich on a one-year deal as Carlo Ancelotti's assistant coach for 2017/18.

According to Sport Bild, the 40-year-old, who made 184 appearances for Bayern between 2000-09, will meet Ancelotti in Vancouver, where Bayern's Italian coach is on holiday, for talks.

Having won the 2001 Champions League trophy with Bayern, Sagnol has management experience after coaching French league side Bordeaux from 2014 until last year.

Importantly, for when dealing with Bayern's star-studded squad, Sagnol also speaks German, English and, most helpfully for Ancelotti, Italian.

Bayern's assistant coach role has been vacant since Paul Clement left last December to take charge at Premier League side Swansea City.

So far this year, Ancelotti had his son Davide next to him on the bench, while club stalwart and assistant coach Hermann Gerland is leaving to become manager of Bayern's youth academy.

Ex-Bayern captain Mark van Bommel had reportedly already turned the assistant coach job down.

Sagnol is tipped to be on Bayern's bench alongside Ancelotti next season when they will attempt to win a sixth straight league title.