Lyon, once a stable force and former champion in French football, is facing turbulent times under its American ownership. The club’s latest upheaval is the dismissal of coach Fabio Grosso after just seven matches, marking a search for the third coach in a season that only started three months ago.
Under the direction of John Textor and his associates, Lyon currently sits at the bottom of the league table with a mere seven points from 12 matches, five points adrift of safety. Grosso’s tenure saw only one victory, ironically against Rennes, Bruno Génésio, who is now a strong contender to take over the struggling giant.
French media reports suggest that Lyon’s locker room would welcome Génésio, who was recently dismissed from Rennes due to poor results. Génésio, familiar with some of Lyon’s key players like Alexandre Lacazette and Corentin Tolisso, could bring a sense of stability.
However, Génésio is not the only name in contention. Jorge Sampaoli, Antoine Kombouaré, and Claudio Casapa, currently managing Belgian club Molenbeek owned by Textor, are also considered for the role. Igor Tudor, reportedly approached by Lyon, has declined the offer, expressing his desire to continue working in Serie A.
With Fabio Grosso and his assistants Raffaele Longo, Francesco Vakariello, Vittorio Caroli, and Mauro Caretta packing their bags, Pierre Sage will temporarily take charge, assisted by Jérémy Bréchet, Jean-François Vulliez, and goalkeeper coach Rémy Vercoutre.
Owner Textor, who previously replaced Laurent Blanc on September 16, now faces the challenge of finding a permanent solution for the managerial role just two and a half months later.
