Papin returns to football as coach of fourth-tier Chartres

PARIS - Former Ballon d'Or winner Jean-Pierre Papin will return to coaching after a 10-year absence as boss of French fourth-division side Chartres, the club announced on Tuesday.

The 56-year-old former France striker was last coach of Chateauroux in 2010 after previous stints in charge of Strasbourg and Lens.

He had been working as a pundit for BeIN Sports.

"In football you quickly forget what is going on," Papin said. "If you are in the circle all the time and you leave, it's very difficult to get back in."

Papin made his name as a prolific goalscorer for Marseille, winning the Ballon d'Or in 1991.

He also played for AC Milan and Bayern Munich and scored 30 goals in 54 international appearances for France.

AFP