Serge Aurier set to join seventh-tier French club while beginning coaching career

Serge Aurier is close to joining French seventh-tier side Montigny-en-Gohelle, according to La Voix des Sports, while also taking his first steps into coaching at former club Lens.

Lens announced the return of the former Paris Saint-Germain right-back on 11 August last year, although this time Aurier was not coming back as a player.

The club said the former Ivory Coast international would join the La Gaillette Gerard Martel academy as an assistant coach with the under-15 team.

“Between coaching and guidance, Serge Aurier, one of the most prominent graduates of the La Gaillette academy and a player with more than 400 professional appearances, is returning to the La Gaillette Gerard Martel academy,” Lens said in a statement.

The club added: “The former Ivory Coast international will share his experience with the under-15 team as an assistant coach.”

Aurier, however, does not currently intend to end his playing career permanently, according to French outlet Foot Mercato.

The 33-year-old has been able to sign for any club since becoming a free agent, but had not found a suitable destination after his spell with Iranian club Persepolis ended in August last year.

He now appears to have found his next club, although the move will take him away from professional football. La Voix des Sports reports that Aurier is set to sign for Montigny-en-Gohelle, a club competing in the second division in the Hauts-de-France region, which sits at the seventh level of the French football pyramid.

Some details of the agreement still need to be finalised. Once the remaining arrangements have been completed, Aurier will be able to continue playing while beginning his work as an assistant coach.

Aurier began his professional career with Lens before establishing himself at several major European clubs. He went on to play for Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham and Nottingham Forest, as well as representing Ivory Coast at international level.

His career has included more than 400 professional matches, and his return to Lens has given him an opportunity to pass on that experience to younger players. A move to Montigny-en-Gohelle would allow him to remain active on the pitch at the same time as he develops his coaching career.

The proposed transfer represents a significant change in level for a player who has previously competed for leading clubs in France and England and played in European football. It would nevertheless enable Aurier to continue playing after leaving Persepolis, while combining that role with his new responsibilities at Lens’s academy.

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