Olympique Lyonnais has confirmed the departure of its coach Paulo Fonseca, who has moved to Sporting CP for a fee of five million euros. The decision was made following the Portuguese coach's request to leave the French club, and Lyon have accepted the proposal, obtaining a financial gain and reducing the cost of his salary. The official announcement was made this morning, and the club has revealed that the change of command will take effect from the next round of the Europa League.
In the midst of the surprise, the French club appointed JorgeMaciel as the person responsible for leading the team in the next matches. Maciel, 41 years old and with previous experience as head coach at Valenciennes and Benfica's reserve team, will take over as interim coach until a new permanent coach is found. Furthermore, he will be in charge of giving statements to the press the day before the match in Anoeta, which surprised the club's fans, since the official announcement came just half an hour before the press conference.
The new interim leader will also be in charge of preparing the team before the trip to Donostia, where Lyon will meet Real Sociedad. The club has already moved to its facilities in France and will not carry out training at the Anoeta stadium, but goalkeeper DominikGreif, known for his performance in the Copa del Rey semi-final against Mallorca, will be present at the match. Greif is a player with whom the club has a close relationship, although Real Sociedad fans do not remember him with special fondness.
With Fonseca's departure, Lyon faces a transition period as it searches for a new coach. The appointment of Maciel as interim will allow the club to maintain continuity in the team's preparation and strategy, while searching for a candidate who can take the club to the top of Ligue1 and into European competition. Lyon fans hope that the new coach will bring stability and a renewed focus for the upcoming matches.