Argentine Marcelo Bielsa will coach Olympique Marseille from next season, the Ligue 1 club said yesterday.
Marseille said Bielsa had agreed to a two-year deal.
“The deal will be finalised with an official signature at the end of the league season,” OM added.
Bielsa, who was in charge of Argentina from 1998-2004 and Athletic Bilbao from 2011-13, will take over from Frenchman Jose Anigo.
OM, the 1993 European champions, won their first French league title in 18 years in 2010 under coach Didier Deschamps, who left in 2012 to take charge of the France team.
He was succeeded by Elie Baup, who was then replaced by Anigo on a caretaking basis last December.