Toulouse and coach Casanova part company - club

PARIS (Reuters) - Toulouse and coach Alain Casanova have parted company by mutual consent after a poor start to the season left them third from bottom in Ligue 1, the club said on Thursday.

"Toulouse Football Club and Alain Casanova have decided on Thursday morning, by mutual consent, to end his contract as coach of the professional squad," TFC said in a statement.

Toulouse added that Denis Zanko, the technical director of the club's youth academy, would be in charge on a caretaking basis.

Toulouse, who have nine points from nine games, picked up two points from their last five matches.

Casanova, 58, had been in charge since 2018 after a first coaching stint at Toulouse from 2008-15.

(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Robert Birsel)