Ex-Bayern star involved! This near-relegated side dreams of the CL | OneFootball

The coach waves his scarf in front of the fans, tears glistening in his eyes. In the stands, a banner can be seen reading “Bravo Fonseca,” because they know who they have to thank for this success: Paulo Fonseca. The Olympique Lyon coach has achieved something that probably nobody would have thought possible before the season. 

Together with his players, he is making the fans dream of their first Champions League appearance since 2019/20. In the Covid season, that surprise team only fell in the semifinals of the final tournament in Lisbon to the eventual winners from Munich. Now the Champions League anthem could ring out again at their own stadium next season — and that despite the club still facing forced relegation to France’s second division last summer.

Because of breaches of financial regulations, the national supervisory body DNCG had ordered the forced relegation. Controversial club president John Textor then stepped down and sold his shares in Premier League side Crystal Palace.

OL appealed the forced relegation — successfully. But the financial watchdog imposed strict conditions on the club. Wage and transfer spending had to be reduced.

As a result, numerous stars left the club. Among them were Rayan Cherki (to ManCity), Georges Mikautadze (Villarreal), and even club legend Alexandre Lacazette was not offered a new contract. He moved to Saudi Arabia. Lyon spent around €50 million on new players. For comparison: the previous year it had been nearly €150 million.

The departure hit Lyon academy product Mikautadze particularly hard on the final day of the transfer window; he left the club grounds in tears.

As if that were not dramatic enough, the coach was suspended from league matches until December. He had received a nine-month ban last March after clashing with referee Benoit during the match against Stade Brest. Fonseca had been shown a red card, which he refused to accept. The Portuguese coach was seething with rage and screamed in the official’s face. 

Assistant on the touchline during matches

Fonseca did apologize after the final whistle, but the French federation showed no mercy and suspended him. While he might have been sacked for that at other clubs, OL stood by him. Fonseca continued to lead training sessions, while assistant Jorge Maciel took charge during matches. That loyalty would be rewarded.

Because once the 52-year-old was allowed back on the touchline for matches, it lifted the players so much that they put together an impressive winning streak of 13 straight games. But how did the team manage to become so successful despite its limited resources? 

There seem to be several factors. For one, Fonseca adjusted his plan. While the coach had previously been known more for attacking football, he now placed greater emphasis on defensive stability. That was implemented during matches by his assistant coach. Centre-back Moussa Niakhaté revealed as much after the win over Marseille on matchday three. 

But certain individuals are also truly thriving right now. For example Endrick, who is on loan from Real Madrid, and Corentin Tolisso as well. In the last three matches alone, the former Bayern star has recorded six goal contributions and is leading the team as captain. His coach is full of praise for him too: “He is the team leader, a very intelligent player with many qualities. He is always enormously important for us.”

Tolisso himself said the following in November 2025 after his hat-trick in the Europa League against Maccabi: “My game is evolving, I’m getting older, gaining experience. It’s true, I feel that I’m currently in the best form of my career.”

Endrick makes an instant impact

Endrick, meanwhile, already has eleven goal contributions in 14 Ligue 1 matches and could even imagine playing for OL next season as well. “I’d like to stay here. Because they do everything here to provide me with the perfect conditions [for my performance],” he explained in an interview with 'Ligue1+'.

📸 Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey - 2026 Getty Images

Alongside the big names, other professionals are also stepping into the spotlight. One example is Pavel Šulc. The Czech forward arrived in the summer from Viktoria Plzen and is extremely dangerous in the penalty area. He has shown that not only for his club, but also for the national team. In the qualifying final against Denmark (5-3 on penalties), he scored to make it 1-0 and can now hope for a World Cup ticket.

Afonso Moreira was brought in as the successor to Malick Fofana, having previously played for Sporting’s reserve team in Portugal’s third division. That meant the 21-year-old had big shoes to fill, but he impressed immediately and became a fan favourite. With eight goals and eleven assists across all competitions, he has also emerged as one of the league’s breakout stars. 

The defence has been solid too: behind PSG and RC Lens, Lyon have conceded the fewest goals (34). Slovak goalkeeper Dominik Greif arrived from RCD Mallorca and kept eleven clean sheets in 27 matches.

It is this mix of composed leaders and hungry talents that defines the new Lyon. Add to that a coach who seems to be exactly the right man in times of crisis. If the team maintain this focus until the final matchday, Fonseca will not be crying next season just because of a banner — but when the Champions League anthem echoes through the stadium and the fans, just like today, proudly raise their scarves to the sky.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE - AFP or licensors