Paulo Fonseca believes Lyon stronger despite Malick Fofana exit

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·4 September 2026

Paulo Fonseca believes Lyon stronger despite Malick Fofana exit

Paulo Fonseca believes Lyon are stronger than last season despite Malick Fofana’s exit, and they face Auxerre at 19:00 on Friday.

Lyon beat Sparta Prague 3-0 in the Champions League third qualifying round. According to L'Équipe, Fonseca is satisfied with the window and sees a more complete, better balanced squad.

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On 1 September 2025, Georges Mikautadze was sold to Villarreal on deadline day to balance accounts that were heavily in the red.

A year on, Lyon again moved a player at the last moment for more than €35m including bonuses. Though Fofana’s departure came in chaotic conditions, the club were not left badly depleted.

The priority now is to regain momentum.

Source: L'Équipe

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