Puel turned down top offers

New Nice coach Claude Puel has claimed he turned down a move to England to stay in France.

Puel has spent the past year in the managerial wilderness after he was sacked by Lyon last summer. He will be back in the dugout next season, however, after penning a deal with Nice. The 50-year-old says the Nice chairman sold the vision of the club to him and convinced him to reject approaches from top European clubs. "Nice have had difficulties for a number of years but it is a club with huge potential. There is much work to be done, but that appeals to me," added Puel. "I could have gone abroad and signed for two clubs that are in the Champions League. On Wednesday, an English club called me, but I had already set my heart on Nice." Nice finished a disappointing 13th place in Ligue 1 last season.