Auxerre manager Jean-Guy Wallemme has said that he feels responsible for the club's relegation to Ligue 2 despite only taking over in March.

The 44-year-old expressed his disappointment at the manner of his team's 3-0 defeat at Marseille, which brought to an end 32 years in the top flight.

"I'm thinking of the fans, who must be disappointed," admitted Wallemme. "I'm down and out because of the result and above all by the manner of it. I feel responsible for the situation even if I only took over mid-season.

"We knew it was a very difficult challenge, and what's a shame is that we had given ourselves hope again. We came back into things from a position where we were five points adrift.

"We would have liked to have gone down fighting and I didn't get the impression that was the case tonight."

It is unclear whether Wallemme, who is also the head coach of the Congo national team, will stay on as manager of the Bourgogne club.