Ivorian FA hits out at departing coach Michel

MUNICH, June 22 (Reuters) Ivory Coast FA president Jacques Anouna hit out at national team coach Henri Michel last night for announcing he was leaving to join a club in Qatar.

''He should have told me first, not announced it to the media,'' said an angry Anouna, who held an impromptu news conference to vent his feelings.

As his players laughed their way through the media mixed zone at the Allianz Arena after becoming the first team in 36 years to recover from a 2-0 deficit and win a match at the World Cup finals, Anouna said Michel was ''finished''.

''So he has announced that he is going to Qatar, has he?'' said Anouna. ''I don't think he is serious! He should have spoken to me first and not talked first to the media.

''He also started talking like this after only two games. Well, now, it is final and as far as I am concerned his contract is finished. The Ivory Coast is looking for a new coach now.'' The post-match rumpus came in the hour of Ivory Coast's celebrations after their first World Cup win, a 3-2 comeback triumph over Serbia&Montenegro in their final Group C fixture.

Speaking at the post-match news conference, Frenhcman Michel was asked about his future and said: ''I will be going to Qatar -- that is my future destination.'' Pressed for more information, he said he would be joining a club, but that he had not yet received a final proposal.

''I don't know if he is joking, but it is finished for us now,'' said Anouna.

Michel has a Lebanese wife and lives in Beirut.

He commuted to Europe to watch his players, most of whom play in the European leagues, and seldom visited Abidjan.

Qatar would be closer to home for a man who guided France to the World Cup semi-finals in Mexico 20 years ago, Cameroon at the 1994 finals in America and Morocco during France '98.

Ivory Coast lost 2-1 to Argentina and Netherlands in their opening Group C games before delighting a sell-out 66,000 crowd, that gave them great vocal support, with a farewell victory.

REUTERS VJ BST0439