"Nothing surprises us in football anymore": Lyon moves on from Fonseca's shock departure to focus on Real Sociedad

Fonseca departed Lyon after 83 matches to join Sporting Portugal; interim coach Jorge Maciel takes charge for Europa League trip to Real Sociedad.

Paulo Fonseca has left Olympique Lyonnais after less than a year in charge, choosing to depart for Sporting Portugal, his "club of the heart". The departure came as a shock to the club, announced officially on Wednesday afternoon after Fonseca requested to speak with sporting director Matthieu Louis-Jean on Thursday of the previous week. Sporting Portugal will pay Lyon a €5 million indemnity for the early contract termination.

Louis-Jean acknowledged the surprise but defended the decision to let him go, saying the club needed a coach "motivated 150% for Olympique Lyonnais". The club's communication was carefully managed, with the full leadership present at a pre-match press conference at the Anoeta stadium. Goalkeeper Dominik Greif reflected the players' sentiment: "Nothing surprises us in football anymore. We've turned the page and await the arrival of a new coach."

Jorge Maciel, Fonseca's assistant, has stepped in as interim manager for Lyon's Europa League fixture against Real Sociedad on Thursday evening. Maciel previously served as interim between Pierre Sage and Fonseca in January 2025, and noted that managing the interim now is simpler given the club's evolution and team dynamics.