Struggling French league club Brest on Tuesday appointed Eric Roy as its coach until the end of the season, with hopes that the 55-year-old will help the Brittany side remain in the top division.
Brest sits in the relegation zone after 17 matches, two points from safety.
Roy replaces Michel Der Zakarian, who was sacked in October after leading the team to just one win in 10 rounds.
As a player, Roy featured in 349 French league matches, mainly for Nice, Lyon and Marseille. He also played for Sunderland and Rayo Vallencano.
Roy will be coaching his first team since a short stint at Nice more than 10 years ago. He also served as sporting director at Lens and Watford.
Brest said Roy will keep the current technical staff.