Ligue des champions : Fonseca s’autoproclame meilleur entraîneur de l’OL

Paulo Fonseca’s reaction to Lyon’s Champions League elimination changed sharply within 48 hours. After the 1-2 defeat by Fenerbahçe in the playoff, the Portuguese coach responded angrily to questions about his late substitutions. Two days later, before Lyon’s Ligue 1 match against Le Havre, he delivered a detailed defence of his work and declared himself the best coach in the club’s recent history.

The first statement came immediately after the European defeat. Asked why he had waited to make changes, Fonseca said that discussing substitutions after the final whistle was easy. He then added, with visible irritation: “C’est peut-être la raison pour laquelle je suis un entraîneur de merde” — “Perhaps that is why I am a terrible coach.” The remark quickly spread online and placed his match management at the centre of the post-match debate.

Fonseca returned to the subject at his next press conference, but his tone was no longer self-deprecating. He arrived with figures written on a piece of paper and spent almost five minutes presenting them. His argument focused on league finishes, points per match, winning percentages and the level of investment made by the club before and after his arrival.

He began by referring to Lyon’s recent league history. The last time the club finished fourth in Ligue 1 before the current period was the 2020-2021 season. In 2023-2024, the season before Fonseca’s arrival, Lyon finished sixth with 53 points, an average of 1.58 points per match and a 52 percent winning rate. The club invested €83 million during that campaign.

Fonseca then compared those figures with his first season. Lyon again finished sixth in 2024-2025, but collected 57 points, averaging 1.8 points per match and winning 60 percent of its matches. He argued that if the team had maintained that points-per-game rate throughout the first phase of the league season, it would have finished third rather than sixth.

The figures he cited for the following campaign were stronger in terms of league position. Lyon finished fourth in 2025-2026 with 60 points and an average of 1.76 points per match. Fonseca also highlighted the club’s transfer balance during that season, noting €50 million invested and €112 million in sales. For the 2026-2027 season, he said the club had invested €29 million so far.

Those numbers formed the basis of his most striking claim. “Pardonnez mon arrogance mais je suis le meilleur entraîneur de l’histoire récente de Lyon,” he said, before insisting that the statistics supported his view. He also pointed to the quality of Lyon’s football and to the young players used during his time in charge. His presentation contrasted with the criticism that followed another failure to reach the Champions League proper.

Fonseca did not deny responsibility when criticism was justified. He said that when he loses, he is the principal person responsible and accepts that. His objection, he explained, was directed at criticism he considered illogical. He said he believed it was important to state what he regarded as the truth rather than allow the post-match discussion to focus only on his decisions against Fenerbahçe.

The elimination means Lyon will continue in the Europa League, after previous exits in that competition at the quarter-final and last-16 stages during the past two seasons. The club’s immediate sporting focus is now the league meeting with Le Havre, while the transfer window remains active. Fonseca is under contract until 2027 and said he has a close relationship with Lyon’s directors. He added that his attention was on the team, the market and decisions over which players would leave or remain.