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.



Barcelona Returns to Top of La Liga with 1-0 Win over Rayo Vallecano

Soccer Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Rayo Vallecano - Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain - February 17, 2025 FC Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Albert Gea
Soccer Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Rayo Vallecano - Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain - February 17, 2025 FC Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Albert Gea
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Barcelona Returns to Top of La Liga with 1-0 Win over Rayo Vallecano

Soccer Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Rayo Vallecano - Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain - February 17, 2025 FC Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Albert Gea
Soccer Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Rayo Vallecano - Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain - February 17, 2025 FC Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Albert Gea

Barcelona returned to the top of the Spanish league on goal difference on Monday after Robert Lewandowski's first-half penalty secured a 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano.
The Catalan club took advantage of weekend slip-ups by Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid to move onto 51 points, the same as Madrid and a point clear of Atlético, The Associated Press reported.
Madrid drew 1-1 at Osasuna on Saturday and Atletico was held by the same score at home by Celta Vigo.
Barcelona took the lead after 27 minutes when Pathe Ciss brought down Íñigo Martínez in the box, and a penalty was awarded after a video review. Lewandowski sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot.
Both sides had chances to score after that.
Augusto Batalla saved well from Lamine Yamal, who was playing the 100th game of his career, while at the other end Jorge De Frutos had the ball in the net for Rayo only to see it ruled out for offside.
De Frutos was always dangerous for Rayo but as the game went on the home side took control as it extended its unbeaten run to 12 matches.
The defeat ended Rayo nine-game unbeaten streak that stretched back to Dec 7.