Lyon will hire Paulo Fonseca as its new coach, a person with direct knowledge of the deal has told The Associated Press.
The person requested anonymity because the deal has yet to be announced officially.
Fonseca will replace Pierre Sage, who was fired despite leading the French league club out of a crisis last season and having the team within reach of a Champions League place in this campaign.
Sage's dismissal on Tuesday followed a 1-1 draw with Nantes in Ligue 1 over the weekend and left many observers perplexed. Sage had rapidly become a fans’ favorite after guiding Lyon from the bottom of the standings to a sixth-place finish last season.
And after 19 matches this season, Lyon is sixth in the league — just four points off a Champions League spot — and in a good position to qualify for the knockout stage of the Europa League.
Lyon, however, said the decision to part ways with Sage was a “sporting choice” after the Frenchman averaged fewer points per game this season and struggled against big rivals.
Lyon is owned by American businessman John Textor, who visited the club in person this week. He had been in regular contact with Fonseca in recent years and previously tried to hire him. The former Lille coach has been out of a job since he was fired by AC Milan on Dec. 30.
The 51-year-old Fonseca produced only 12 wins in 24 matches across all competitions with AC Milan but the Portuguese coach was more succesful with Lille, where he built one of the best attacking and efficient sides in France despite operating on a limited budget.
Lyon, which spent 220 million euros ($229 million) on players while Sage was in charge, believes that Fonseca will be able to add defensive stability to the team and make it more competitive against the top four Ligue 1 teams. The club's ambition is to qualify for the Champions League on a regular basis and to challenge Paris Saint-Germain's supremacy.
Lyon also had to deal with off-the-pitch issues this season and is risking relegation to the second tier because of financial issues. However, Textor’s Eagle Football company has expressed confidence that it can convince French league’s soccer watchdog that the club is sound, announcing Tuesday a cash injection of 83 million euros ($87 million).
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Samuel Petrequin, The Associated Press
