Fonseca leaves third-placed Lyon for Sporting after 83 matches, Maciel steps in

Paulo Fonseca is leaving Lyon after 83 matches in charge to take over Sporting CP, the club he supported as a boy. The 53-year-old told his players on Monday, a day after a 2-0 home win over Angers, and landed in Lisbon on Tuesday evening, telling reporters: “I am very happy to return to Portugal and join Sporting.” Lyon had not made the departure official by Tuesday night, Football365 reported.

A third-placed side

Fonseca leaves Lyon third in Ligue 1 on 17 points after nine matchdays, with five wins, two draws, two defeats, 15 goals scored and seven conceded. Only PSG (20 points) and Lille (18) are ahead, and Lyon's goal difference of +8 keeps them above Paris FC, also on 17 but at +6. Fonseca's last match was Sunday's win over Angers: Lyon's Ernest Nuamah scored in the 38th minute and captain Corentin Tolisso added a second in the 86th. Fonseca burst into tears at the final whistle. Asked about possible contacts with another club, he told Ligue 1+: “Are there contacts? There is a possibility.” Tolisso had said: “I want him to stay.”

Contract and money

Fonseca's Lyon contract ran until June 2027, according to Flashscore Portugal, and he is expected to sign with Sporting until June 2030 and be presented on Wednesday. The Portuguese outlets Record and Jornal de Notícias say Sporting will pay Lyon about €5 million. So Foot, citing L'Équipe, reported that Fonseca's salary stood in the way of an extension at a club that still watches its spending, and Le Progrès says the departure will ease Lyon's finances. Sporting, who opened talks on Sunday to end coach Rui Borges's contract, are third in the Portuguese league, nine points behind leaders Porto. Fonseca is expected to make his debut at home to Moreirense on Sunday, the day Lyon visit Brest.

Maciel in charge, Vicens the favourite

Jorge Maciel, Fonseca's 41-year-old assistant, takes over on an interim basis for Thursday's Europa League match at Real Sociedad and Sunday's trip to Brest, who are 10th on 12 points (kick-off 17:15). Lyon then face Lille on 21 November, after the international break. Maciel joined the Lyon staff in summer 2024 under Pierre Sage, Fonseca's predecessor, stood in as interim after Sage was sacked in January 2025, and ran the touchline during Fonseca's nine-month suspension. Foot en France and So Foot name Carlos Vicens, a 43-year-old Spaniard who worked under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, as the leading candidate for the permanent job. Braga sacked him last month after three straight defeats, and no appointment has been announced. Lyon had stood out this summer by keeping their coach while Lille, Monaco, Lens and Marseille changed theirs, olympique-et-lyonnais.com noted.