Guardiola disciple sacked by Braga: who is Carlos Vicens, favourite to replace Fonseca at Lyon?

Spanish coach Vicens, 43, who worked under Guardiola at Manchester City, is the leading candidate to replace Paulo Fonseca at Lyon after being sacked by Braga.

Lyon is preparing for Paulo Fonseca's departure to Sporting CP and has identified Carlos Vicens as the favourite to become the club's next manager. The 43-year-old Spanish coach was dismissed by Braga on 20 October following a 2-1 home defeat to Gil Vicente, the club's third consecutive loss across all competitions.

Vicens enjoyed a successful first season as a head coach in 2024-25, leading Braga to fourth place in the Portuguese league, the Europa League semi-finals (losing 4-3 on aggregate to Freiburg) and the Portuguese League Cup final (losing 2-1 to Vitória SC). His career took a significant turn in 2017 when he joined Manchester City's coaching staff after approaching the club during a visit to England. He progressed from U12 assistant to U18 coach, winning the FA Youth Cup in 2020 with a squad featuring CJ Egan-Riley, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer, before joining Pep Guardiola's first-team staff for four seasons. Vicens has described working under Guardiola as an incredible experience and credits the manager's philosophy of giving coaches freedom while maintaining high standards. He emphasises adapting his tactical approach to his players' individual strengths and personalities.