Paulo Fonseca officially leaves Lyon to join Sporting Lisbon

Olympique Lyon have officially announced the departure of their Portuguese manager Paulo Fonseca from the first team, after he expressed his desire to leave the club in order to take charge of Sporting Lisbon.

Lyon have stated in an official statement that Paulo Fonseca informed the club's management of his desire to leave after receiving an offer from a club he has a special relationship with, referring to Sporting Lisbon. He expressed regret over this step, especially as it comes during an important phase of the season.

The club added that the management decided to accept the coach's request after seeing that continuing the collaboration no longer guarantees the full commitment required to achieve the goals of the sports project. It confirmed that it has already begun searching for a new coach who aligns with the technical approach that the team has been working on over the past months.

Jorge Masiel will take charge of the team temporarily until the next international break, as he will lead Lyon against Real Sociedad on Thursday in the Europa League, and then during the match against Brest on Sunday in Ligue 1.

Lyon have revealed that Sporting Lisbon will pay a financial compensation of 5 million euros due to the early termination of Fonseca's contract. The club also thanked the Portuguese coach for his work and commitment during his time with the team, wishing him success in his future career.