After Fonseca’s departure, Lyon turns the page and moves on

“Nothing is surprising in football anymore.” The phrase captures the mood at Lyon after Paulo Fonseca’s departure: surprise, a measure of bitterness, but also a desire to move on quickly. Fonseca had led the club since January 2025 across 83 matches before choosing to leave of his own accord in less than a week.

In its response, Olympique Lyonnais praised his commitment, high standards and work, while describing his departure as “unexpected” and deeply regretting its timing in the middle of the season. Sporting director Matthieu Louis-Jean also admitted he had been caught off guard: Fonseca had asked to speak with him in his office last Thursday. “It was a big surprise,” he said.

The club executive explained that Lyon had wanted to finish the season with Fonseca. But the coach wanted to join a club to which he felt deeply attached, his boyhood club, in his own words. Lyon did not want to keep a coach who was not fully focused and motivated. Louis-Jean also stressed the need to protect the club’s sporting and financial interests. Sporting Portugal will pay 5 million euros following the early termination of the contract.

Goalkeeper Dominik Greif described it as “quite a particular feeling”, while saying the team had turned the page and was waiting for a new coach to arrive. Jorge Maciel, now interim coach, had understood Fonseca’s decision during a conversation at training on Saturday morning. He described it as a personal choice and summed up the team’s options: “Either we cry or we move forward.” He also highlighted the players’ professionalism and their ability to deal with events.

The club extended its communication with a video filmed by OL Play and sent to journalists. On the pitch, the next European fixture follows a very different display from Lyon’s last Europa League match at Hoffenheim two weeks ago, which ended in a 3-0 defeat. Matthieu Louis-Jean and the other Lyon executives are continuing their search for a new coach; Carlos Vicens is described as a likely candidate, but his arrival is not confirmed.