Jens Berthel Askou Emerges as Toulouse Front-Runner
jens berthel askou has emerged as the frontrunner to become the next coach of Toulouse, with the French Ligue 1 club moving toward a change after Carles Martinez Novell's exit. Motherwell still have him in charge for their final home game of the season against Celtic tonight, which keeps his situation split between two clubs and two different sets of expectations.
Toulouse Move Takes Shape
Toulouse are tenth in the French top flight and are searching for a replacement after Martinez Novell decided to leave following Sunday's final league game in Nantes. Askou is now the leading name in that search, putting the Motherwell manager in line for a move into one of Europe's major leagues if the discussion turns into an appointment.
He is not the only coach in the frame. Olivier Pantaloni of FC Lorient and Lille's Bruno Genesio have also been linked with the vacancy, but Askou's name has moved to the front of the queue. That makes the Toulouse job one of the more active coaching searches in France, with the club needing to settle on a new direction after three seasons under Martinez Novell.
Motherwell And Celtic
Motherwell say they have received no formal approach for Askou, even as he prepares for a night that carries its own pressure at Fir Park. He has also been heavily linked with Celtic's permanent vacancy, and tonight's match against them gives Motherwell one more look at the manager who has taken them to the brink of a fourth-place finish in the SPFL Premiership.
His work at Motherwell has included wins over Celtic and Rangers, built around entertaining, possession-based football. Those results help explain why he has drawn attention beyond Scotland, and why Toulouse's search now runs through a manager who is still scheduled to lead Motherwell again tonight before any move can happen.
Motherwell's Final Home Test
The immediate task remains the same for Motherwell: a final home game against Celtic with Askou still in the dugout. For Toulouse, the next step is choosing whether the coach who pushed Motherwell close to fourth place is the right fit to replace Martinez Novell in Ligue 1.
