Carlos Vicens a Guardiola Disciple Is Named New Lyon Head Coach
Olympique de Lyon announced Monday the hiring of Spaniard Carlos Vicens
Olympique de Lyon announced Monday the hiring of Spaniard Carlos Vicens, a disciple of Pep Guardiola, as head coach of its first team for the remainder of the season and the next.
Vicens, 43, who was part of Manchester City's coaching staff under Guardiola, was chosen by the French club to replace French-Portuguese Paolo Fonseca, who left without prior notice to coach Sporting CP.
Lyon said in a statement that with Vicens it aims to give continuity to its sporting project, since "his approach to the game, his demands and the importance he places on player development fully correspond to the club's guidelines."
Coaching staff and first experience at Braga
The Spanish coach will have Mario Enguidanos as his assistant, along with Lander Iza Garcia, Jordi Lie Fernandez and Ramiro Marin on his coaching staff, which will also include Portuguese Jorge Maciel, who was Fonseca's number two and coached the team's last two matches.
Vicens would be embarking on his second experience as a head coach at a professional club, having coached Sporting Braga between May 2025 and October 2026.
In his first season at the Portuguese club he reached the Europa League semifinals and the League Cup final and finished fourth in the Portuguese championship, but after three straight defeats he was dismissed the following season.
From player to Guardiola disciple at City
A player until age 27, when he retired due to a recurring ankle injury, he began coaching teams in his native Mallorca until 2017, when he joined Guardiola's City, to which he had sent his résumé out of admiration for the Catalan coach.
After working in the youth divisions, he moved to the under-18s as head coach and won the 'Youth Cup'. He then joined the first team's coaching staff, where he handled set pieces, with a positive balance, as City scored 21 goals and conceded only one from dead-ball situations. EFE
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