Monday 7 July 2014 13:26, UK
Vahid Halilhodzic has confirmed his decision to resign as Algeria coach despite pleas for him to stay on from the country's president.
The Bosnian coach won plenty of admirers for his side's style of play in the World Cup in Brazil, where they reached the knockout stage before falling 2-1 to Germany.
He received a personal plea from Algeria president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to stay after the squad were welcomed home as heroes in Algiers on Wednesday.
But it appears the lure of a return to club coaching has proved too much to ignore and Halilhodzic could be named as Turkish club Trabzonspor's new boss later this week.
A statement from Halilhodzic on the Algeria Football Federation website read: "I will always keep fond memories of the extraordinary hospitality of the Algerian public, who supported me from the first day I arrived and remained faithful.
"Today, after living in Algeria for three years, my family obligations and the lure of new sporting challenges weighed heavily on my decision.
"I want to thank, first of all, his Excellency President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, whose warm words profoundly touched me.
"I also want to thank Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal for his encouragement and kind wishes, and the president of the FAF, Mohamed Raouraoua, with whom have worked for three years to realise our objectives and who put at my disposal a squad with all the necessary means to achieve this difficult mission."
