For now, Paulo Fonseca remains in charge of Olympique Lyonnais, but for how much longer will that remain the case? As reported by L’Équipe, the Portuguese head coach has been courted by Sporting CP as their chosen successor to Rui Borges, overtures that have not been turned away by the French club, who would be happy to shed his lucrative contract. 

There was a strange atmosphere to Lyon’s Sunday afternoon 2-0 win over Angers SCO. Across the Parc Olympique Lyonnais, from the stands down to the players on the pitch, everyone could feel that this was the end. As Corentin Tolisso headed Lyon’s second of the evening into the back of the net four minutes from time, he gathered the players and ran to the bench to embrace Fonseca. 

At the final whistle, it was Fonseca’s turn to go to the players. As he hugged and congratulated each one, there was a sense that this was more than just a perfunctory gesture. Afterwards, as he headed in the direction of the tunnel, he broke into tears. Seemingly confirming what all expected, this was un tendre adieu. 

Lyon stick with Fonseca through his ban

The body isn’t cold yet, nor is it, strictly speaking, even dead. However, the obituaries and analysis can still be performed. Which makes you wonder: how should Fonseca’s year and a bit in charge of the club come to be viewed? When the emotion of Sunday’s goodbye fades, what are you left with? And at its core, should we consider Fonseca’s time a success or failure? 

Fonseca arrived at the club in January 2025 as a replacement for Pierre Sage. It was a move engineered by the erstwhile owner of the club, John Textor. The US businessman, after a run of poor results, had lost faith in Sage’s ability to secure Champions League football for Lyon, and according to the axed manager, considered Fonseca “a market opportunity.” 

Fonseca was a glamorous name, someone who had a track record in France of delivering attractive and successful football following his two seasons in charge of Lille OSC. Textor believed that Fonseca would provide far more assurances than Sage in the pursuit of the Champions League and its financial windfall. However, as with most of the decisions made during the Textor era, they had a tendency to backfire. 

Only three months into the role, Fonseca was slapped with a nine-month suspension after he made an aggressive action towards the referee during the 2-1 win over Stade Brestois. It was just his sixth game in charge. The club stood by their manager, believing the hefty charge to be the result of politics rather than justice. Regardless, the suspension acted as a sideshow and distraction, and it was not all that surprising that Lyon fell short of their stated goal. 

Austerity and near misses 

The succession of gambles and the failure to land Champions League football caught up to Textor, and he was ousted from the club before the start of the 2025/26 season. A new regime was put in place and managed to convince the DNCG (French football’s financial watchdog) of a more solid financial future for the club, and in doing so they avoided some of the more stringent punishments, such as relegation to Ligue 2. 

However, they could not avoid wage bill and transfer budget restrictions. The new leadership, under Michele Kang, kept faith in Fonseca to lead the club through an austere summer. Rayan Cherki, Nemanja Matić, Alexandre Lacazette, Lucas Perri, and Georges Mikautadze all departed. Despite the talent drain, Fonseca kept Lyon competitive, ending the season in fourth and with a shot at the Champions League via the playoffs. 

Once again, Fonseca would fall short as Lyon failed to surpass Fenerbahçe, losing 3-2 on aggregate in August. However, Les Gones have responded well after that early disappointment. Their win over Angers left them third in the Ligue 1 table, while their record in the Europa League has seen them win two and lose once. 

There’s been a sense that we’re finally seeing something close to the finished article, a true reflection of their manager and his vision for the team. And just as that image is about to come into focus and become realised, it’ll be gone. Fonseca time was both a success and a failure, but more than that, it felt frustratingly unfulfilled. 

This week’s Ligue 1 subplots

• It was a victory for Lille OSC over RC Lens in the Derby du Nord. The two local rivals came into the game in good form and with a sense of parity in the quality of their team. However, there was only one team that seemed to be at the races. Read the full match report HERE.

• For a brief moment, Le Havre were allowed to dream as they took the lead against Paris Saint-Germain. Instead, the inevitable would come as Les Parisiens turned the score around in ruthless fashion to win 5-1. The result would mark the end of Didier Digard’s time in charge of Le Club Doyen with the team bottom-of-the-table. Read how it happened HERE.

• AS Monaco suffered defeat at the hands of Paris FC on Sunday. It was their fourth game in Ligue 1 without a win. Head coach Filipe Luís took responsibility for the latest setback, telling reporters, “The manager’s plan didn’t work. I take full responsibility.” Read the full quotes HERE.