Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc took a major step towards replacing Raymond Domenech as France's national football team coach after expressing his wish to leave his club on Sunday, said Bordeaux.

Moving on: Laurent Blanc has called time on his role as manager of Bordeauc and is likely to take charge of the French team
 
Blanc, a World Cup and Euro winning defender with France as a player, led Bordeaux to the 2009 league title but his side could only finish sixth and out of the European places on Saturday's final round of league matches.

According to one unnamed player at the club, Blanc quit as Bordeaux coach on Sunday after informing his players of his decision.

Bordeaux subsequently released a statement which suggests he is set to accept the French football federation's (FFF) offer to replace current France coach Domenech when he leaves his post at the end of the 2010 World Cup.

"The FC Girondins de Bordeaux have just been informed by their coach Laurent Blanc that he wishes to respond favourably to an offer by the FFF to become the France coach," the statement said.

Blanc was recently offered the job to take over France last week by FFF president Jean-Pierre Escalettes.

Escalettes, quoted by the French daily Sud Ouest, said the ball was now in the court of the former World Cup and European championship winner.

"Laurent Blanc is under contract until 2011. There are four Ligue 1 games left, he has to be allowed to work in peace. Then he will decide. No one can decide for him," he said.

Domenech is set to leave his post after the World Cup with his successor due to be named before the tournament gets under way on June 11.