Paris, Dec 21 (IANS): Ligue 1 football club Saint-Etienne have appointed Jean-Louis Gasset as head coach of the team, the third in this season, replacing Julien Sable as the latter failed to meet the requirements for coaching in Ligue 1.

Saint-Etienne signed a two-year contract with Oscar Garcia in June, but the Spaniard quit his position after just a five-month spell on Wednesday, reports Xinhua news agency.

Sable, 37, then took charge of the team, while missing the required qualifications for coaching a Ligue 1 team, meaning that a future 25,000-euro fine per match would be inflicted if the team continued to let him remain in that position.

Saint-Etienne made the replacement decision before Wednesday's league match against Guingamp, following a meeting on Tuesday night.

According to Saint-Etienne, Julien Sable will retain his place as technical supervisor of the group.

"ASSE would like to underline the professionalism, rigor and courage shown by Julien Sable in an extremely difficult situation where he had to lead a group without several key players," read the club's press release.

"This decision, taken after complete consultation with Jean-Louis Gasset and Julien Sable, allows the club to respect the provisions for football coaches," it added.

Following a 2-1 loss to Guingamp, Saint-Etienne currently sit 16th, just one point above the relegation zone.