Olympique Lyon just can’t catch a break: the former French champions, now relegation candidates, have parted ways with coach Fabio Grosso after a short time
As OL announced on Thursday, Grosso has been relieved of his duties with immediate effect. Grosso’s assistants Raffaelle Longo, Francesco Vaccariello, Vittorio Carello and Mauro Carretta must also leave. Pierre Sage, head of Lyon’s youth academy, will take his place on the bench until a new head coach is found. The 44-year-old will make his debut next Saturday (5 p.m.) against RC Lens.
For Grosso, this marks the end of a short and unsuccessful spell in charge. When he took over OL in mid-September, the proud club was 18th and bottom of the table. Lyon are still bottom of the table, with only one win in seven league games (1/2/4) under Grosso’s direction. Grosso was particularly blamed for the 2-1 defeat at home to direct rivals Clermont Foot on October 22. He has been criticized ever since, and the 2-0 defeat at home to Lille OSC last weekend was the last straw for those responsible around US club boss John Textor and new sporting director David Friio.
Even off the pitch, Grosso’s commitment was not under a good star
And off the pitch, Grosso’s guest appearance at OL was not under a good star either. In the run-up to the game at Olympique Marseille on October 30, he was injured in his left eye during attacks by OM fans on the Lyon team bus and the game was subsequently called off.
The developments and events of recent weeks are a further low point in the downward spiral in which OL have long seemed trapped. The former serial champions, who won the title between 2002 and 2008, ran into financial turmoil in the decade and had to bake smaller rolls. When the wealthy US investor John Textor and Eagle Football Holdings Limited acquired a majority stake in OL in December 2022, fans hoped for a return to old successes thanks to the funds on offer.
However, the opposite happened. Lyon played a strong second half of 2022/23, but ultimately missed out on international business in seventh place. And therefore had to let two of its most promising talents go in the summer: Bradley Barcola (to PSG) and Castello Lukeba (to RB Leipzig). However, major moves on the transfer market were not possible, as the French financial authority DNCG continues to keep an eye on OL.
A mammoth task awaits the new man
And the veterans Corentin Tolisso and Alexandre Lacazette, who were brought back in 2022, have not lived up to their leading role so far this season. After OL failed to get out of the starting blocks at all, those responsible pulled the ripcord after just four defeats and sacked Laurent Blanc. Now Grosso, the second world champion, has left his post – and a mammoth task awaits his successor at a badly battered OL
