Michel set to leave
18 Jun 2006 - 14:56:13
Ivory Coast coach Henri Michel will step down from his position after the Elephants' final World Cup Group C match against Serbia Montenegro.
Michel's men cannot qualify for the last 16 after slipping to narrow defeats against Argentina and the Holland, bringing the Frenchman's contract to an end.
"The Ivorian Soccer Federation did not ask to extend my contract, so for me it finishes with the match against the Serbians," he said.
Michel, who has managed France, Cameroon and Morocco at previous World Cups, was disappointed by the Elephants' results in Germany, but insisted poor refereeing was a major factor in his side's early exit.
"We could have done something great here but it turned out otherwise. But there is hope for the future," he said.
"This is a World Cup of regrets, especially with regard to the refereeing. I watched the game against the Holland again last night and saw some very obvious mistakes.
"I am under the impression there is a favouritism for larger countries over smaller ones when it comes to refereeing."