Paulo Fonseca was appointed by Olympique Lyonnais on the 31st of January, 2025, to improve overall performance and achieve European qualification.
Lyon had played 19 matches at that point and had only one win in their last five showings.
With him on board, they won seven of the next nine games, setting a positive benchmark.
Les Gones ultimately finished sixth in the Ligue 1 table, securing UEFA Europa League qualification.
Out of the 26 games he has managed so far, he has 17 wins, one draw, and eight losses, giving him an overall win percentage of 64.4%, much higher than the previous coachs (57.1%).
Through this Paulo Fonseca tactical analysis, we are going to shed some light on the situation at Lyon and highlight the aspects in which he has improved his side, especially during the 2025/2026 season.
Olympique Lyonnais 2025 Debacle
Lyon have had their fair share of financial issues in 2025.
The holding company behind them reported massive debt and a drop in TV revenue.
DNCG, France’s football financial oversight body, banned transfers in January and provisionally demoted them to the second division.
After an appeal, their relegation was overturned.
All of these circumstances led to minimal transfer activity in terms of buying.
Meanwhile, they were forced to let go of many of their top players to reduce wage bills and acquire funds, replacing them on a tight budget.
Despite the extreme constraints, Paulo Fonseca and Lyon have had a great start to the season.
In nine matches in all competitions so far, Lyon have seven wins and just two losses.
They have scored 12 goals, conceding just five.
They have seven clean sheets, keeping one in every game they have won so far in all competitions.
Lets look at how Lyon operate tactically under Paulo Fonseca.
Paulo Fonseca Attacking Tactics At Olympique Lyonnais
In this section, we will look at the attacking features of Lyon’s play.
Build-Up & Ball Progression
Lyon usually build-up either in a 4-3-3 structure with a single pivot or a 4-2-3-1 with a double pivot.
In the first case, the pivot acts as the deepest midfielder, offering a vertical option to the centre-backs and the goalkeeper.
In a dou
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