Why a Ban for Fonseca Could Spell More Trouble for Lyon

Paulo Fonseca faces a lengthy ban after his bust up with a referee last weekend, adding yet more drama to what has been a turbulent season at Lyon.  

The club are aiming to qualify for Europe via their Ligue 1 finish and avoid a provisional relegation that was imposed on them earlier in the campaign. However, this latest setback makes backing against Lyon an appealing proposition in the weeks to come. 

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A Turbulent Season For Lyon  

Back in November, Lyon were handed a provisional relegation to the second tier of French football as the club’s debts rose above the 500 million euro mark. The club are owned by John Textor and Eagles Football Holdings. The chairman has since said he is confident that they can show the necessary financial improvements to avoid being condemned to Ligue 2. A long run in the Europa League and qualifying for a European competition via their league position would alleviate some of the pressure on the club, but there is a lot of work to be done in that regard.

Another controversy at Lyon was the decision to sack Pierre Sage. He took charge of the team when they were embroiled in a relegation battle last season but managed to steer them to a 6th place finish. Sage’s team earned more points than any other team in Ligue 1 in the second half of the previous campaign, even more than the champions, PSG. The decision to dismiss Pierre was widely questioned. 

Paulo Fonseca was the man drafted in to replace Sage. Paulo was in charge of AC Milan at the start of the season but he was sacked in December following a 1-1 draw with Roma. The Rossoneri’s poor performances under the Portuguese coach didn’t deter Textor, who was keen to bring Fonseca in. He has since won three of his five matches in charge of Lyon but his actions in the win over Brest could undermine the good work he has done so far. 

Fonseca looks set to receive a lengthy touchline ban after his violent outburst against Benoît Millot, the referee in charge of Lyon’s game against Brest. Paulo squared up to the official as Millot went over to review a potential penalty for Brest. There is a chance that the Lyon boss will now be out of the dugout for the remainder of the season. Most are predicting a lengthy ban, which could impact results.  

Nice’s Exceptional Home Form

The absence of their manager won’t help Lyon’s chances against Nice this weekend. Les Aiglons are in fantastic form. They have lost just one of their last 11 matches in Ligue 1, a run which has seen them climb to 5th isn the table. Over that period, Nice have scored an average of 2.27 goals per game, 1.18 more than they have conceded. Franck Haise’s side come into this one two points above Les Gones.

Nice have a superb record against Lyon at the Allianz Riviera. They have lost just one of the last six head-to-heads at this ground, winning five. Haise’s men are unbeaten at home in the league this season and come into this one on the back of six consecutive Ligue 1 victories in front of their own fans. They will fancy their chances against Lyon as a result. 

Lyon have managed just one away win in their last five league matches. That solitary victory was a 4-1 triumph over Montpellier but the underlying data suggests there was an element of good fortune despite the emphatic scoreline. Les Gones finished the game with an xG of 0.95, 0.45 less than the home side. 

Several months without their manager on the touchline and the impending threat of an imposed relegation could mean that Lyon stutter in the closing months of the season.

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