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Eric Gerets has confirmed he will leave his post as Marseille coach at the end of the season, with PSG's Paul Le Guen tipped to succeed him.

The Belgian's contract at OM is up in the summer and he will not renew his deal at the Mediterranean side, who are closing in on a first Ligue 1 title since 1992.

Sections of the French media reported on Tuesday that Gerets had decided not to prolong his contract and, as a result, he felt obliged to tell his players as soon as possible.

"I took this decision a while ago," he said on Marseille's website.

Gerets added: "Having seen the importance of everything that was going on with my team, with the matches that were coming up, I had wanted to wait at least until next week to announce it and to calm everyone.

"We also have an extremely important match this weekend (at home to Toulouse).

"But with this article having appeared (in L'Equipe), I had to react today and what I am saying here will be in the papers, on the television, on the radio, everywhere from Wednesday and then it will be peaceful afterwards.

"The players, like me, can concentrate on what is important - trying to be French champions at the end of the season."

Gerets took charge of OM a couple of months into last season, when they were struggling near the bottom of the Ligue 1 table after a dreadful start to the campaign.

He managed to guide them to a third-placed finish and therefore qualification for the Champions League for the second year running.

This season, OM have provided a consistent challenge to seven-time reigning champions Lyon and have recently opened up a five-point gap at the summit, with just five matches left in the campaign.

Second-placed Bordeaux could close that gap to two points should they defeat Rennes on Wednesday night in their game in hand.

Gerets is confident the announcement will not affect his players during the title run-in.

"I told the players the news and I can't say they were shocked," Gerets added.

"They have understood that being a coach is a special job, where you can be in one place at one time and another place the next day.

"We are living some marvellous times together. And everyone knows we are going to go to the end, with the same atmosphere in the team.

"It is certainly not going to disturb the players."

The 54-year-old has won domestic championships in Belgium with Standard Liege, Lierse and Club Bruges, in Holland with PSV Eindhoven and in Turkey with Galatasaray.

He has turned around OM's fortunes in the two seasons he has been in France and admits the club have touched his heart.

"I have never felt anything comparable to what I do here," he said. "I didn't think that it would be possible after what I had experienced at Galatasaray, where I really was happy.

"Upon leaving Turkey, I said to myself I was leaving with a little box full of emotions for the times when I would be alone and when I would feel bad afterwards. Now this box will not quite be big enough with everything I have lived through at Marseille.

"The feelings, the shudders that it gives me, it's impossible to describe. It is so good that I don't want to waste this ambience, and I'm certainly not going to forget it."

OM will now begin their search for a successor to Gerets.

Parts of the French press have speculated that they may try to tempt Paul Le Guen, the current coach of rivals Paris Saint-Germain, to the south.

Le Guen's contract at PSG expires at the end of the season.

TeamTalk / Eurosport