By Marco Hugo Barsotti MHB 
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An abrupt and unexpected turn in the French championship. Paulo Fonseca is leaving Olympique Lyonnais to return to Portugal and take charge of Sporting Lisbon. The news was officially announced on Wednesday by the French club, ending a series of rumors that had begun to circulate following the coach’s emotional speech after the victory against Angers.
The Portuguese coach expressed to the management his firm determination to terminate his tenure to join a team to which he is particularly attached. The decision took the management of the French club by surprise, expressing deep regret regarding the timing of the departure, occurring in the middle of the sporting season.
The French club’s emergency plan
According to the official communication from Olympique Lyonnais, continuing the collaboration would no longer be in the team’s best interest. The management believed that there was no longer a guarantee of the total commitment necessary to achieve the set objectives. At this crucial moment, the club has decided to concentrate all its energy on the continuation of the sporting project.
To manage the transition, technical leadership will be temporarily entrusted to Jorge Maciel, Fonseca’s former assistant. Maciel will lead the group for the upcoming decisive matches, including the Europa League fixture against Real Sociedad and the league challenge against Brest. The search for a new coach is already underway, focusing on profiles capable of ensuring continuity with the work done so far.
The economic agreement with Sporting
The transfer will not be free. Sporting Lisbon will pay Olympique Lyonnais an indemnity of five million euros for the early termination of the fifty-three-year-old coach’s contract. The coach is expected in Lisbon, where an ambitious project awaits him, with the team competing in European competitions.
Sporting had already begun talks for the separation from previous coach Rui Borges, preparing the ground for this twist involving the arrival of a coach with great international market experience. The news marks a moment of strong instability for the French club, which must now rebuild its technical leadership in very rapid time.
Source: franceinfo
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