Published: Friday, Dec. 30, 2011 8:20 a.m. MST
PARIS ? Paying the price for not being a glamorous enough name, Antoine Kombouare was replaced as Paris Saint-Germain coach to herald a major break from the French club's traditions.
A club stalwart largely unknown outside of France, Kombouare was a highly respected former PSG player, a fans' favorite, someone who knew the club inside out and had a bond with it that ran deep.
Just as important, he had helped to lift PSG out of the doldrums and within sight of a first French title since 1994. It sits top of the league at the winter break.
That wasn't enough for the club's ambitious new owners from Qatar, however.
Kombouare left as coach of PSG on Friday, hours before Carlo Ancelotti ? one of the most highly-rated managers in European football after successful spells at Juventus, AC Milan and Chelsea ? was unveiled as his replacement and entrusted with taking the club into another dimension.
Loyalty and ties to PSG's past were not enough for a new-look club with lofty ambitions.
"PSG would like to thank Antoine Kombouare for the professionalism he has shown throughout his time at the club and wishes him every success in his new endeavors," a PSG statement said.
"Antoine Kombouare expressed his gratitude to PSG for the faith it showed in him over the years. He remains the club's biggest fan and has no doubt it will continue to have success in the years to come."
Kombouare had helped bring stability to an oft-troubled club once riddled with problems of football violence and a long-standing racist element among some fans that nearly brought the club to its knees. Two PSG fans died in separate incidents of hooliganism outside the Parc des Princes stadium in November, 2006 and early last year.
"I find it scandalous to sack Kombouare, a coach who was liked so much by the players," former France forward Christophe Dugarry said recently on Infosport television.
Not only that, Kombouare was bringing long-overdue success to PSG.
After replacing Paul Le Guen in 2009 and leading PSG to the French Cup the following year, Kombouare guided the club to the top of the French standings.
Former France goalkeeper Gregory Coupet, who played the previous two seasons under Kombouare's stewardship, was not surprised by the news.
"It was rather predictable, given all the talk about Ancelotti, and the meetings (sporting director) Leonardo had with him," Coupet said on RMC radio station. "The winter break was the ideal moment (to announce) it, although it's all happened pretty quickly."
The shakeup seems unlikely to end there. After Ancelotti's arrival, former England captain David Beckham could follow when the transfer window opens on Sunday.
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