Ancelotti named PSG coach

Paris - Italian Carlo Ancelotti was on Friday named the new coach of Paris Saint-Germain on a two-and-a-half year deal, but former England captain David Beckham has still not committed to the big-spending Qatar-backed French club.

The 52-year-old former AC Milan and Chelsea boss takes over from Antoine Kombouare, who stepped down earlier Friday, and his first competitive game will be a French Cup last-64 tie away to Brittany amateur outfit Locmine on January 8.

Ancelotti is now in place to fly out to the Middle East with the first-team squad on Sunday for a four-day winter training camp in Qatar and Dubai.

It has been reported that Ancelotti, twice a Champions League winner in his time with Milan, would become the best-paid coach in the history of the French game with an annual salary of between six and seven million euros ($7.8m-$9m).

The club left it late to confirm the sacking of Kombouare, a former player who has been in the dug-out since the summer of 2009.

"After two years during which he carried out his duties as PSG head coach with passion, Antoine Kombouare leaves Paris Saint-Germain as from today," the Parisian club said in a statement shortly before unveiling Ancelotti.

Kombouare, 48, thanked "all the people who offered him support over these last days".

"I leave Paris Saint-Germain with a sense of unfinished business but with the feeling of having given everything."

But Beckham's agent on Friday denied media reports that the former Manchester United star had signed for the Parisian club.

"There is no agreement with PSG at this time, an offer does not make a contract, we continue to hold negotiations with a number of clubs," 19Management said in a statement released by the SEMP public relations company.

"No decision has been made and we do not expect one at the moment."

But PSG's mega-rich owners Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) expressed confidence that Beckham would "soon be a player for PSG".

"We are confident that he will be in attendance for the (friendly) match with AC Milan, and are happy to see David and his family settle into Paris."