Remi Garde has opted not to extend his contract with Lyon and is to leave the French club after three years as coach.

The 48-year-old took over after the sacking of Claude Puel in 2011, initially on a one-year deal, before signing a two-year contract in 2012 that ends on June 30.

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has openly said he wanted Garde to stay, especially with the club's new 58,000-seater stadium set to be opened at the end of 2015.

But Garde, a former Lyon, Strasbourg and Arsenal player capped six times by France, opted not to remain.

"I've decided not to reply favourably to the numerous and repeated proposals of my president, of (adviser) Bernard (Lacombe) and of the club to lead the professional team next season," Garde said.

"The reasons are completely personal and family-related. I feel the need in my life to breathe a little, to take a break."

Lyon currently sit fifth in Ligue 1, one point ahead of Marseille, and play Nice on Saturday in a crunch match that they must win to guarantee European qualification for a French record 18th consecutive season.

Current Reims coach Hubert Fournier, a former Lyon defender, and Jocelyn Gourvennec, who has just won the French Cup with Guingamp, had already been strongly linked with OL in the event that Garde decided to leave and Aulas outlined the credentials he will be looking for.

"We will favour a solution that allows us to keep all or some of the backroom staff already in place and will try to find someone who has already been at Lyon or whose mentality corresponds to ours," said Aulas, who added that the new coach must be a French speaker.