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Lyon Confirms Paulo Fonseca as New Coach

Lyon's newly appointed head coach Paulo Fonseca gestures in the stands before the start of the UEFA Europa League, 1st round day 8, football match between Lyon and Ludogorets Razgrad at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais stadium in Decines-Charpieu, near Lyon, on January 30, 2025. (Photo by OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP)
Lyon's newly appointed head coach Paulo Fonseca gestures in the stands before the start of the UEFA Europa League, 1st round day 8, football match between Lyon and Ludogorets Razgrad at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais stadium in Decines-Charpieu, near Lyon, on January 30, 2025. (Photo by OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP)
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Lyon Confirms Paulo Fonseca as New Coach

Lyon's newly appointed head coach Paulo Fonseca gestures in the stands before the start of the UEFA Europa League, 1st round day 8, football match between Lyon and Ludogorets Razgrad at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais stadium in Decines-Charpieu, near Lyon, on January 30, 2025. (Photo by OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP)
Lyon's newly appointed head coach Paulo Fonseca gestures in the stands before the start of the UEFA Europa League, 1st round day 8, football match between Lyon and Ludogorets Razgrad at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais stadium in Decines-Charpieu, near Lyon, on January 30, 2025. (Photo by OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP)

Lyon has confirmed the hiring of Paulo Fonseca as its new coach.
Fonseca is replacing Pierre Sage, who was fired despite leading the French league club out of a crisis last season and having the team within reach of a Champions League place in this campaign.
Sage’s dismissal on Tuesday followed a 1-1 draw with Nantes in Ligue 1 last weekend and left many observers perplexed. Sage had rapidly become a fans’ favorite after guiding Lyon from the bottom of the standings to a sixth-place finish last season.
The Associated Press reported earlier this week that Lyon had sealed a deal with Fonseca.
Fonseca's first match in charge will be against Marseille in the French league on Sunday, Lyon said.
Fonseca won the Portuguese Supercup with Porto in 2013 and the Portuguese Cup with Braga in 2016. He also coached Shakhtar Donetsk, where he won three league-cup doubles (2017, 2018, 2019) and the Ukrainian Supercup in 2017.
Paulo Fonseca then coached AS Roma between 2019 and 2021 before joining Lille in June 2022, where he built one of the best attacking and efficient sides in France despite operating on a limited budget. More recently, he was less successful at AC Milan, producing only 12 wins in 24 matches across all competitions.
Fonseca had been out of a job since he was fired by AC Milan on Dec. 30.
After 19 matches this season, Lyon is sixth in the league — just four points off a Champions League spot — and has qualified for the knockout stage of the Europa League. Lyon, however, said the decision to part ways with Sage was a “sporting choice” after the Frenchman averaged fewer points per game this season and struggled against big rivals.
Lyon is owned by American businessman John Textor, who visited the club in person this week. He had been in regular contact with Fonseca in recent years and previously tried to hire him. Fonseca joins on a deal until the end of June 2027.
Lyon believes that Fonseca will be able to add defensive stability to the team and make it more competitive against the top four Ligue 1 teams. The club’s ambition is to qualify for the Champions League on a regular basis and to challenge Paris Saint-Germain’s supremacy.
“Paulo Fonseca and his staff will be tasked with starting a new cycle and taking the club to the highest level in the second half of the season, with the ultimate goal of qualifying for next season’s Champions League,” Lyon said.

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Asian Cup Draw Postponed

The draw for January's Asian Cup finals has been postponed (AFC)
The draw for January's Asian Cup finals has been postponed (AFC)
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Asian Cup Draw Postponed

The draw for January's Asian Cup finals has been postponed (AFC)
The draw for January's Asian Cup finals has been postponed (AFC)

The draw for January's Asian Cup finals, which was due to be held in Riyadh on April 11, has been postponed, the Asian Football Confederation announced on Thursday.

Officials have rescheduled the event to a later date "to ensure the undisrupted attendance of all stakeholders at the final draw ceremony," the governing ⁠body said in ⁠a statement.

"The AFC expressed its appreciation to the Local Organizing Committee for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ for their full readiness to host the draw as planned, and it appreciates the understanding and continued cooperation of its Participating Member Associations, fans and stakeholders," the statement added.

Saudi Arabia is due to host the 24-team quadrennial continental championship for the first time with the last remaining round of qualifiers taking place on Tuesday.

Qatar are the defending champions and have already secured their ⁠berth ⁠at the finals alongside four-times winners Japan, plus fellow World Cup qualifiers South Korea, Iran, Jordan, Australia and Uzbekistan.

The AFC announced on Tuesday that the latter stages of the Asian Champions League Elite would go ahead as planned in Jeddah, with matches running from April 13 to 26.

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Maguire: Amorim Had Great Ideas but they Did Not Click at Man United

Manchester United's English defender #05 Harry Maguire is sent off the pitch after receiving a red card during the English Premier League football match between Bournemouth and Manchester United at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, southern England on March 20, 2026. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
Manchester United's English defender #05 Harry Maguire is sent off the pitch after receiving a red card during the English Premier League football match between Bournemouth and Manchester United at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, southern England on March 20, 2026. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
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Maguire: Amorim Had Great Ideas but they Did Not Click at Man United

Manchester United's English defender #05 Harry Maguire is sent off the pitch after receiving a red card during the English Premier League football match between Bournemouth and Manchester United at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, southern England on March 20, 2026. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
Manchester United's English defender #05 Harry Maguire is sent off the pitch after receiving a red card during the English Premier League football match between Bournemouth and Manchester United at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, southern England on March 20, 2026. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire said former manager Ruben Amorim had strong ideas, but they ultimately “didn’t work” at Old Trafford, further praising interim manager Michael Carrick for overseeing a smooth transition.

United have revived their season since Carrick took charge in January, rising into the Premier League’s top three after earning 23 points in 10 games, with only one defeat. "I really like Ruben, he’s ⁠got great ideas. ⁠The ideas just didn’t work at Manchester United," Maguire said of Amorim in an interview with Britain's The Guardian.

"It just didn’t click or work and us, as players, have got to ⁠take a lot of responsibility for that as well."

Amorim was known for his back-three system, but Maguire said he feels more comfortable in a back four.

“In the middle of a back three, it is more cautious, a sweeper-type role and not as much driving forward with the ball, which has been a big part of ⁠my ⁠game throughout my career," he said, according to Reuters.

"I feel like it has been a great transition. Credit to Michael and his staff for making it so smooth.” Maguire was named last week in Thomas Tuchel's 35-man England squad as they host Uruguay at Wembley Stadium on March 27, followed by a clash with Japan at the same venue four days later.

Sports

Hamilton Says More Committed to F1 than Ever at 41

Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton in Suzuka. Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP
Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton in Suzuka. Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP
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Hamilton Says More Committed to F1 than Ever at 41

Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton in Suzuka. Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP
Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton in Suzuka. Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP

A rejuvenated Lewis Hamilton said Thursday that he was more committed to Formula One "than ever" aged 41 and believes he trains harder than any other driver.

The seven-time world champion has made a strong start to the season with Ferrari and is fourth in the championship after two races, 18 points behind leader George Russell of Mercedes, said AFP.

Hamilton finished third in China to claim a podium place for the first time since joining Ferrari ahead of the 2025 season, and he said he had been putting in the hard yards ahead of this week's Japanese Grand Prix.

"I was in Tokyo between this race and the last race, I've run like 100 kilometers," the Briton said.

"I know that none of the drivers I'm racing against have trained as hard as I am and giving it what I am, especially at my age.

"I love that, that I still have that drive to push myself," he added.

Hamilton boasted that he was returning to his hotel after a morning run just as other drivers were getting up.

"The commitment is there, more than ever," he said.

"I dedicate absolutely everything I have to this challenge."

Hamilton endured a nightmare first season with Ferrari last year, finishing sixth in the championship and suffering the indignity of becoming the first driver to be eliminated from Q1 at three consecutive grands prix.

His fortunes have changed markedly with new regulations and car designs this season, which have produced noticeably more overtaking in races than in recent years.

Hamilton got the better of team-mate Charles Leclerc after a titanic tussle in Shanghai and he said he found battling drivers "much more fun".

"That's how racing should be," he said.

"It should be back and forth, it shouldn't be one move is done and then that's it."