Abroad, Perrin worked for several years in Qatar and had brief spells in the United Arab Emirates and with Portsmouth in the Premier League.

[4] In May 2002, Perrin signed a three-year deal to succeed Bernard Tapie as manager of Olympique de Marseille.

[6] Days after leaving the Stade Vélodrome, Perrin was linked to a number of managerial positions around Europe, including at Premier League club Southampton.

[9] On 24 April his side beat rivals Southampton 4–1 in the South Coast derby, a result that contributed to Pompey staying up and Saints being relegated.

[14] In his only season, he led the club to a seventh consecutive Ligue 1 championship title, and retained the cup for the team's first double.

Despite this disappointment Perrin continued to lead them into the 2012 GCC U-23 Championship where the team fared considerably better reaching the semi-finals of the tournament and eventually coming fourth overall in the competition.

[24] The following 8 January, he left his job as the team sat in third in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification following a loss at Qatar and two draws with Hong Kong.