Dino Toppmöller to become Lens head coach after secret talks | OneFootball

Dino Toppmöller will become Lens head coach after covert negotiations culminated in a two-year agreement on Friday.

According to L'Équipe, the search led by chief executive Benjamin Parrot and sporting director Jean-Louis Leca focused on a manager who develops young players, plays intense football and is used to the elite.

A francophone and former assistant to Julian Nagelsmann at Bayern Munich from 2021 to 2023, he then had an eye-catching spell in Frankfurt, followed by a tougher six months that ended with his dismissal in January. He was close to Bayern's French contingent, sometimes taking players to lunch off-site when he sensed they needed support.

He is credited with advancing the development of Randal Kolo Muani, Hugo Ekitike, Jesper Lindström, Willian Pacho and Omar Marmoush, and he has long admired Ligue 1.

Leca was quickly won over by Toppmöller’s experience and technical touch. The German visited Lens’s facilities discreetly, and a first offer arrived on Thursday after some calculated bluff from the club.

Toppmöller will accept a smaller salary than he earned in Frankfurt. Nice and Feyenoord attempted late moves without success, and Milan had him on a shortlist before turning to Oliver Glasner.

The appointment of a coach recognised across Europe signals ambition from Lens, who had faced criticism for not strengthening ahead of the Champions League. The French public are set to discover a creative technician.

Source: L'Équipe