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Barthez Leaves Olympique de Marseille

Fabien Barthez, goalkeeper for Olympique de Marseille, has announced that this season will be the last season he plays for the team, and that he intends of leaving Olympique de Marseille at the end of the present season, when his contract expires. I spent two-and-a-half fantastic years here, they had a full confidence in me during that time and I really appreciated playing in such a unique team."

In other related news, French champions Olympique Lyonnais have extended the contract of centre-back Cris until June 2010. The Brazilian`s previous deal was set to end 12 months earlier. He has made 35 league appearances this season, establishing himself as one of French football`s top defenders since joining from Cruzeiro ES in 2004.

FC Lorient secured a place in the French top flight with a 3-1 win against Stade de Reims Champagne on Friday. It is the third time they have achieved promotion under the stewardship of coach Christian Gourcuff, having done so in 1997/98 and 2000/01. They will join second division champions Valenciennes AFC and runners-up CS Sedan-Ardennes in Ligue 1 next season.