Football - Marseille parts ways with sporting director Gunter Jacob

Marseille says that sporting director Gunter Jacob has left the club by mutual consent. The club announced his departure in a statement yesterday without giving further details. The 48year-old Belgian leaves only three months after being hired, and amid reports that Barcelona’s former sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta is close to joining. Marseille president Jacques-Henri Eyraud said on French television on Sunday that Zubizarreta has already met with coach Rudi Garcia. Garcia was hired last Thursday, just three days after the club was officially bought by American owner Frank McCourt. Zubizarreta, a former goalkeeper, played more than 400 games for Barcelona and made 126 international appearances for Spain. He was Barca’s sporting director from July 2010 until he was fired in January last year.