"He can die for his ideas": what to expect from Carlos Vicens, Lyon's new manager?

Vicens, 43, a former Guardiola assistant at Manchester City, has been officially unveiled as Lyon's new manager on a deal until June 2028.

Lyon have confirmed the appointment of Carlos Vicens as their new head coach, replacing Paulo Fonseca. The 43-year-old Spaniard, who spent four years as an assistant under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, has signed until 30 June 2028 and arrived with four Spanish assistants, including Mario Enguidanos who speaks French fluently.

Vicens comes to Lyon after his first senior managerial role at Braga, where he led the Portuguese club to fourth place in the Primeira Liga and the Europa League semi-finals in his sole season before being sacked on 20 October following three consecutive defeats.

According to Amine El Ouazzani, an Angers player on loan from Braga who worked under Vicens, the coach is demanding and expressive, with strong tactical convictions rooted in Guardiola's philosophy. "He has his convictions, he can die with his ideas," El Ouazzani said in the After Lyon podcast. "He expects a lot from his players."

Vicens favours possession-based football with positional play and movement, often deploying false number nines. He conducted his first training session on Tuesday morning with many players away on international duty. His Lyon debut comes at Lille on 21 November, with the club currently sixth in Ligue 1 after a 2-0 defeat to Brest.