ST ETIENNE (France) - DAMIEN Comolli, who lost his job as Tottenham's sporting director following last month's sacking of manager Juande Ramos, has taken a similar post at French side Saint Etienne, joint-chairmen Bernard Caiazzo and Roland Romeyer said on Sunday.

'Our first decision is to have a strong sporting directorship with Damien Comolli coing into the club in a post equivalent to that which he held at Tottenham,' Caiazzo explained amid reports Comolli could become coach.

Comolli worked as a scout at Arsenal between 1996 and 2004 and thereafter spent a year with Saint Etienne before heading to White Hart Lane.

With Spurs having had a clearout in the wake of the sacking of Ramos and the appointment of Harry Redknapp in his place 'Les Verts', struggling in the league after a ninth defeat in 13 league games Sunday at home to Rennes left them 18th, turned to Comolli.

'We think it is a means of having a strong sporting directorship which can function better. It's vital for Saint Etienne to move on up,' Caiazzo said.

Coach Laurent Roussey is already on notice given the club's league form - despite a Uefa Cup success in midweek over Norway's Rosenborg as that came on the back of a 4-1 thrashing by Lorient.

After the Rennes game, the once proud side where Michel Platini, now Uefa president, made his name in the 1970s and early 1980s, were left in the relegation zone.

Ciazzo admitted that 'We are very unhappy at the poor showing of this evening.' On the future of Roussey, he added: 'It's still too early to talk about Laurent Roussey.'

Nonetheless, Roussey later told reporters he understood that the idea was Comolli would replace him in due course.

The club have won the league title ten times but the last time was in 1981, while in 1976 they were a feared name on the continent, losing the European Cup final to Bayern Munich. -- AFP