Lyon Sack Blanc after Winless Start to Season

 Football - Ligue 1 - Olympique Lyonnais v Paris St Germain - Groupama Stadium, Lyon, France - September 3, 2023 Olympique Lyonnais coach Laurent Blanc before the match. (Reuters)
Football - Ligue 1 - Olympique Lyonnais v Paris St Germain - Groupama Stadium, Lyon, France - September 3, 2023 Olympique Lyonnais coach Laurent Blanc before the match. (Reuters)
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Lyon Sack Blanc after Winless Start to Season

 Football - Ligue 1 - Olympique Lyonnais v Paris St Germain - Groupama Stadium, Lyon, France - September 3, 2023 Olympique Lyonnais coach Laurent Blanc before the match. (Reuters)
Football - Ligue 1 - Olympique Lyonnais v Paris St Germain - Groupama Stadium, Lyon, France - September 3, 2023 Olympique Lyonnais coach Laurent Blanc before the match. (Reuters)

Olympique Lyonnais have dismissed coach Laurent Blanc after a dismal start to the season, the French club said on Monday with the team sitting bottom of the Ligue 1 standings.

The former France and Paris St Germain coach was appointed by Lyon in October last year, with the club finishing seventh last season. But they have been winless in the league this season and are 18th with just one point after four rounds.

Blanc himself jokingly suggested that the club should "change the coach" after a 4-1 home defeat by Montepllier last month. His last game in charge was a 4-1 defeat by champions PSG earlier this month, prior to the international break.

"Olympique Lyonnais and Laurent Blanc have mutually agreed to end their collaboration with effect from today," the club said in a statement, adding that his assistants were dismissed too.

"Olympique Lyonnais would like to thank Laurent Blanc and his staff for their commitment and professionalism over the past 11 months at the helm of the team."

French media reported former AC Milan and Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso was in the frame for the role at Lyon, who next host promoted side Le Havre on Sunday.



Rodgers Hoping to Complete Celtic Swoop for Arsenal's Tierney

Soccer Football - Champions League - Arsenal Training - Arsenal Training Centre, London Colney, Britain - January 21, 2025 Arsenal's Kieran Tierney, manager Mikel Arteta and Maldini Kacurri during training Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs/File photo
Soccer Football - Champions League - Arsenal Training - Arsenal Training Centre, London Colney, Britain - January 21, 2025 Arsenal's Kieran Tierney, manager Mikel Arteta and Maldini Kacurri during training Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs/File photo
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Rodgers Hoping to Complete Celtic Swoop for Arsenal's Tierney

Soccer Football - Champions League - Arsenal Training - Arsenal Training Centre, London Colney, Britain - January 21, 2025 Arsenal's Kieran Tierney, manager Mikel Arteta and Maldini Kacurri during training Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs/File photo
Soccer Football - Champions League - Arsenal Training - Arsenal Training Centre, London Colney, Britain - January 21, 2025 Arsenal's Kieran Tierney, manager Mikel Arteta and Maldini Kacurri during training Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs/File photo

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is hoping a deal can be agreed with Arsenal to expedite Kieran Tierney's return to Glasgow before the end of the transfer window.

The Scotland international is set to return to Celtic, who he left for the Gunners in 2019, on a free transfer with his contract at the Emirates expiring at the end of the season.

However, the Scottish champions are pushing to bring Tierney home before the window closes next week, AFP reported.

"I think we're agreed that it will definitely take place in the summer. If we can do it beforehand, then great," said Rodgers on Tuesday.

"I don't want to speak too much on it with the greatest respect, because he's not a Celtic player here now with us.

"But if we were able to do it, of course, we would like to do that, but that's out of our control at this moment in time."

Tierney has fallen down the pecking order at Arsenal but four of his five appearances this season have come this month as Mikel Arteta battles an injury crisis.

Celtic are already assured of a place in the Champions League play-off round ahead of Wednesday's visit to Aston Villa.

It is the first time in 12 years that the Hoops have reached the knockout phase of Europe's elite competition, but Rodgers said his side's work is not complete.

"It's a great achievement to be in the top 24, I think, if you look at the economics at this level," added the former Liverpool boss.

"The players have worked very, very hard and do what we set out to do, which was to firstly arrive in the play-offs, the players have done that. So it's great.

"But our job's not complete in this series of eight games. We come here to a great venue. It's a fantastic team, but we want to come and play to the level that we know we can do."

Celtic, however, will have to live without three key players from the side that beat Young Boys last week to secure qualification.

Kyogo Furuhashi has left to join Rennes, Daizen Maeda is suspended, while Cameron Carter-Vickers misses out through injury.

And Rodgers is keen to ensure he has a replacement for Kyogo, who scored 85 goals in 165 games for the club, before the end of the window.

"He's been a real iconic player for the club, he's done brilliantly during his time.

"It's about getting a replacement, he did a great job, but he wanted to leave.

"We have known for a number of months. Clearly we wouldn't have wanted to sell him but he made it clear he wanted to move and when that's the case, we have to find the best solution for the club."