Lyon coach Fonseca follows his heart to Sporting Lisbon
French club Lyon confirmed on Wednesday the departure of Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca to Sporting Lisbon with a compensation fee of five million euros ($5.6 mn) paid to the Ligue 1 side.While thanking Fonseca for his commitment, Lyon expressed "deep regret" regarding what they described as an "unexpected decision" mid-season with the club third in Ligue 1.
Lyon's Portuguese head coach Paulo Fonseca has recently announced his departure to Sporting Lisbon, accepting an offer from his boyhood club. The 53-year-old Portuguese coach joined Lyon in January 2025, replacing Pierre Sage and was under contract until the end of the current season. Sporting director Matthieu Louis-Jean expressed surprise at Fonseca's decision, stating that the Portuguese coach couldn't refuse the offer.
Lyon finished fourth last season but missed out on the Champions League play-offs after losing in the play-offs. The club faced financial turmoil, being provisionally relegated to Ligue 2 in June 2025, which was later overturned on appeal. Fonseca also served a nine-month domestic ban in 2024 for an altercation with a referee. Despite the unexpected mid-season departure, Lyon expressed regret and plans to appoint a permanent successor during the upcoming international break, with Carlos Vicens among the leading candidates.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
