Interesting turn of events this afternoon as it was announced through the BBC that French head coach Laurent Blanc, who has been linked with the vacant Tottenham Hotspur job persistently throughout this current Euro tournament, has left his role after turning down the opportunity to renew his contract with the national side.

Though Blanc had turned around the French side's miserable form after their dismal outing at the World Cup 2010 under Raymond Domenech and led the team into a lengthy unbeaten stretch going into the Euros, Blanc's relationship with the FFF has always been understood to be somewhat rocky, and the team's unconvincing display against Vincent Del Bosque's Spain side appears to have convinced Blanc that his future does not lie with the national team.

As anyone who has frequented this site throughout the ongoing Tottenham managerial saga will know, I am an extremely big fan of Blanc's preferred style of play, tactics, and personal qualities. You will also know that Andre Villas-Boas remains the candidate who most believe to be poised to accept the role, and thus though Blanc has been linked heavily with Spurs in recent weeks, it seems extremely unlikely that he will be now become a serious candidate for the job, leaving Blanc a free agent who will most likely soon be plying his trade at another top European club. For completely unrelated reasons, I am currently seeking somewhere dark to lie down and wrap a pillow over my head for a few hours.