Bielsa takes charge at Lazio

Marcelo Bielsa has agreed to take over as the new head coach of Lazio, the Serie A club have confirmed.

Bielsa has been without a club since resigning from Marseille one game into the 2015-16 Ligue 1 season.

The Argentinian joins as a permanent replacement for Stefano Pioli, who was sacked on April 3 following a 4-1 defeat to arch-rivals Roma.

"As revealed in the media, SS Lazio announces that is has registered the contract of Mr Marcelo Bielsa and his co-workers," a club statement released on Wednesday read.

"The coach and his staff will be in Rome on Saturday July 9."

Youth team coach and former striker Simone Inzaghi took temporary charge of first-team matters, steering the club to an eighth-place finish in Serie A.

However, Inzaghi has been overlooked as a permanent appointment, with Bielsa the man drafted in to help secure a return to European competition.