OL

Paulo Fonseca has confided in our colleagues from L’Equipe about OL’s season, fourth in Ligue 1. The coach, under contract until June 2027, confirmed that he will be part of the adventure next season.

Despite OL’s two defeats in the last two matches of the season (2-1 against Toulouse and 0-4 against Lens), Paulo Fonseca remains optimistic: “Being 4th with everything that happened at the start and during the season is magnificent,” the Gones coach said in a lengthy interview with L’Equipe. Since the success against Rennes on May 3, Fonseca anticipated complications: “I knew it would be difficult. I know my team. Maybe we didn’t have the experience to face these pressure moments. I felt that we were not strong enough mentally.”

Fonseca is dissatisfied with the refereeing this season, pointing out the losses last summer – Rayan Cherki, Alexandre Lacazette, Georges Mikautadze, and Thiago Almada – as well as injuries, especially Malick Fofana’s. According to Fonseca, the expectations were “too high” for his team, which, in his eyes, was not equipped to handle them during the 2025-2026 season. The OL coach also criticized the stronger resources of the competition and the level of the referees.

“If I had to change one thing, it would be to prioritize one competition over another,” Fonseca stated. Confirming that he will be there next season, Paulo Fonseca expressed his ambition to be competitive in the next season after a season that apparently met his expectations. The next season for OL will start in August with the 3rd preliminary round of the Champions League, scheduled for August 4 or 5 (first leg) and August 11 (second leg). In the best-case scenario, there will be a potential final playoff, with matches scheduled for August 18-19 and 25-26.