Marseille manager Andre Villas-Boas looks certain to leave the French club after they sacked sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta on Thursday night, sources have told ESPN.

The former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur boss was very close to the former Spanish goalkeeper who brought him to the club last summer. The Portuguese has always said that his destiny at Marseille was linked to the one of Zubizarreta.

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They really enjoyed working together this season, sometimes having to fight against the club's president Jacques-Henri Eyraud who never really saw eye-to-eye with Zubizarreta during their stormy four-year collaboration.

Losing Villas-Boas, 42, would be a huge blow for OM. The Portuguese secured the club Champions League football for the first time in six years.

Marseille finished second in the Ligue 1 table behind Paris Saint-Germain despite not being able to spend much in transfers last summer and having their best player, Florian Thauvin, out all season.

However, Eyraud knew that by getting rid of Zubizarreta, he was also risking losing Villas-Boas. This could also cause a bigger rift between Eyraud and the players as most of them enjoyed an excellent relationship with their manager.

Eyraud has been chosen to lead the club by Frank McCourt, the American businessman who bought the club four years ago.

Villas Boas' man management and tactical abilities have been great this season. He made the most of his team's potential, albeit not always playing the most attractive style of football.