Paulo Fonseca confirms future on Lyon bench | OneFootball

When he took charge of Olympique Lyonnais a year and a half ago, Paulo Fonseca had to get back on track following the failure of his spell at AC Milan. Having finished sixth in Ligue 1 and reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League last season, the Portuguese manager concluded his second campaign at the helm of the Rhône-based club with a fourth-place finish in the league, securing qualification for the Champions League preliminary rounds.

An overall positive record for the 53-year-old coach, whose time at OL has not been without difficulties, notably including a nine-month suspension (between March and December 2025) following his outburst at a French referee.

But whilst Fonseca’s contract runs until June 2027, questions about his long-term future on the Lyon bench have recently resurfaced, as he has yet to sign any extension. A situation about which the Portuguese manager says he is “not concerned”, however.

“I have a year left. I’m not concerned about this situation. We have time. I’m staying,” he announced in an interview with L’Équipe. “I can’t forget what the club did for me during my nine-month suspension. It would have been hard to have received more support. I think Lyon are a great club, with occasional difficulties. I have ambitions for OL. First and foremost, to be more competitive next season. We can achieve that.” Enough to look to the future with a little more peace of mind.

GFFN | Léo Aschi