This morning the French 'FA' unanimously rejected Gérard Houllier's request for a 'sabbatical year' from his open-ended contract as French National Technical Director. Members of the executive board were a little miffed at this attempt to leave his job, without actually leaving it.
I've just been watching French telly and they have been scrolling the info that Pontius Pilate asked for a year out to manage the Villa (although he's earning 10 times what he was on at the FFF as DTN).
Link to article in French. Has this not been reported in Ingerlund? Was he just manoeuvring in order to be released, or was he angling to keep his position as DTN so he could bugger off if it didn't work out with the mighty Claret and Blue?