Paul Le Guen- Profile.

Profile of Paul Le Guen
By Edward Jay
LYON, France, May 9 (Reuters) - A soccer coach who dresses
like a businessman and speaks like a university lecturer, Paul
Le Guen is not unlike another stylish Frenchman.
Always smartly dressed, polite and never loud, Le Guen has
been compared to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
Le Guen stepped down as Olympique Lyon coach on Monday just
a day after leading them to a fourth successive Ligue 1 title,
but says he has no plans for the immediate future.
He became the third coach to win at least three consecutive
French titles after Albert Batteux won four from 1967 to 1970
and Robert Herbin three from 1974 to 1976. Both did it with
Lyon's neighbours and arch-rivals St Etienne.
After helping Lyon become the third French club after St
Etienne (1967-70) and Olympique Marseille (1989-92) to win four
in a row, Le Guen has decided the time is right for a new
challenge.
The Brittany-born 41-year-old has enjoyed successs both as a
coach and player.
After spells in Brittany with Brest and Nantes, his playing
career really took off when he joined Paris St Germain in 1991.
During his seven years at the club, he won the French title in
1994, the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1996, lifted the French
Cup three times and won 17 caps for France.
"Winning a title as a coach is much more difficult," he
said. "You need to dedicate yourself much more and you take more
blows."
Le Guen, who holds a degree in economic science, passed his
coaching diploma when he was still playing, aged 24.
"I don't like it when people say it's difficult for a player
to become a coach," he said. "It's just something you have to
plan carefully."
Careful planning holds no secret for Le Guen. He likes to
keep everything under control, gives few interviews and makes
sure his private life remains private.
Little is known about his life outside soccer and he likes
it that way.
"You need passion but also need to keep some distance," he
said.
Paul Le Guen factfile

LYON, France, May 9 (AFP) - Factfile on Paul Le Guen who quit Monday as
Lyon coach the day after the club wrapped up their fourth consecutive French
league title:

Name: Paul Le Guen
Date of birth: March 1, 1964
Place of birth: Pencran, Brittany
Nationality: French

Career: Footballer (midfielder), coach

Former teams: Brest (1983-89), Nantes (1989-91), Paris SG (1991-98)
478 matches: 23 goals
55 European Cup matches: 5 goals
17 caps for France: no goals
First selection: Israel-France (0-4), February 17, 1993
Final selection: Norway-France (0-0), July 22 1995

Player achievements
Cup Winners Cup: 1996
French league title: 1994
French Cup title: 1993, 1995, 1998
French league Cup title: 1995, 1998

Coaching career
Rennes (1998-2001), Lyon (from 2002)
First official match: Rennes-Auxerre (1-0), August 8, 1998

Coaching achievements
French league title: 2003, 2004, 2005

Bolton's Hierro announces retirement from football
MADRID, May 9 (Reuters) - Former Spain and Real Madrid
defender Fernando Hierro has announced that he will retire from
professional football at the end of this season.
"I'm clear about the decision but I wanted to leave it while
I'm still playing at a high level," the 37-year-old Bolton
Wanderers player told Radio Marca on Monday.
Hierro, who made a record 89 international appearances as an
outfield player for Spain, joined Bolton on a one-year contract
last July after a season in Qatar playing for Al Rayyan.
He joined Real Madrid from Valladolid in 1989 and went on to
help the team win six Spanish league titles and three European
Cups during his 14 years at the club.
He was discarded by Real along with coach Vicente del Bosque
a day after the club won the league title in June 2003.
Real have not won a major trophy since the two men left.


Golf-Sorenstam eyes fresh major challenge after Michelob woes
LONDON, May 9 (Reuters) - Annika Sorenstam wasted little
time putting behind her the disappointment of last week's
Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Having failed in her bid there for a record sixth
consecutive victory on the LPGA Tour, the world number one
swiftly turned her attention to next month's McDonald's LPGA
Championship, the second women's major of the year.
"Life goes on and it's a new tournament next week," the
34-year-old Swede told reporters after a closing three-over-par
74 left her tied for 12th at the Kingsmill Resort and Spa, 10
strokes behind American winner Cristie Kerr.
"I am disappointed, there is no doubt about it. I will just
have to start over and maybe I can do another streak. We'll see
what happens.
"It is tough to win out here once. You have got to be happy
about that. Here I won five times (in a row), but you cannot
take anything for granted.
"I am proud of what I have achieved on the golf course. I am
getting better every year and the work ethic is paying off.
"My goal for the year was to win majors, and I still think
it is possible to win four in one year."
Sorenstam remains on track to become the first player, man
or woman, to complete a professional grand slam in a single
season after collecting her eighth major title at the Kraft
Nabisco Championship in March.
COMMANDING VICTORY
The Swede cruised to victory by a commanding eight shots at
Mission Hills in California to clinch her 59th career title.
"Winning four majors (in the same year), I think nothing
will beat that," she added.
"Plus winning is always good for the confidence. Winning is
good for a lot of things."
Sorenstam, who is fourth on the all-time list for LPGA wins
behind Kathy Whitworth (88), Mickey Wright (82) and Patty Berg
(60), matched Nancy Lopez's tour record of five wins in a row
from 1978 with her victory at the Nabisco.
Her bid to go one better, however, was derailed when she
opened with a five-over-par 76 at the Michelob Ultra Open.
Despite improving with a second-round 67 and then a 69 in
the rain-delayed third round early on the last day, she left
herself too much ground to make up on the leaders.
"I am not going to look for excuses, other than myself," the
Swede conceded. "I had a great opportunity to do something, I
just didn't do it.
"Starting the fourth round, I thought I was in great shape,
but my wheels came off early and I couldn't really recover
unfortunately.
"I am disappointed, but again, it is a difficult thing to
do."
The McDonald's LPGA Championship takes place at Havre de
Grace, Maryland from June 9-12.