Lyon rang Pep Guardiola before they appointed Carlos Vicens as their new head coach, and the club’s chief executive came away with a good reference and a story about who did most of the talking.
Vicens, the former Man City set-piece coach, was officially presented at a press conference in Décines on Tuesday, a few hours after taking his first training session. He replaces Paulo Fonseca, who left last week for Sporting, and has signed until 30 June 2028, with an extra year as an option if Lyon qualify for Europe.
Michael Gerlinger, Lyon’s chief executive, explained that the club had spoken to Guardiola, who worked with Vicens at City, before going ahead.
What did Guardiola tell Lyon about Vicens?
Gerlinger told the story with a smile. “When you talk with Pep, it’s more of a monologue!” he said. “But the exchange was very positive.”
He added: “He told me how they had worked together, especially on set pieces. He told me Carlos was a very good person and advised me to move forward in the talks with him.” According to Gerlinger, Guardiola had “only positive things” to say.
That recommendation backed up what Lyon’s own people had already felt. “Sometimes you feel a chemistry that works immediately,” Gerlinger said. “That was the case for me, but also for Michele and Matthieu,” meaning Michele Kang and sporting director Matthieu Louis-Jean.
Why Lyon moved so fast
Vicens was always in Lyon’s plans, just not this soon. Gerlinger said Fonseca’s request to leave had caught them off guard.
“Paulo Fonseca asked us to let him go to Sporting. We were very surprised, because we wanted to finish the season with him,” he said. “We already had the Carlos Vicens option for July 2027.”
Louis-Jean went as far as Barcelona to meet Vicens. “He was at the very top of our list. He matched our principles of play, our idea of football,” the sporting director said. “What struck me was his passion for football. He is very structured and has a clear idea of the game. He ticked a lot of boxes, including knowing how to develop young players, which matters to us.” He also listed the four years Vicens spent alongside Guardiola among the qualities the club were looking for.
Who is Carlos Vicens?
The 43-year-old Spaniard spent eight years at City. He started as a youth coach in 2017, became Under-18s boss and then joined Guardiola’s first-team staff as an assistant and set-piece coach from 2021, winning the treble along the way.
His first senior job came at Braga, where he won 41, drew 19 and lost 16 of his 76 games. He was sacked on 20 October with Braga eighth in the Portuguese league, so he has been out of work for barely three weeks.
What does Vicens want at Lyon?
Big things. “Qualifying for the Champions League will be the ambition, while knowing we will have to work very hard to get there,” he said on Tuesday. He also wants to take the Coupe de France seriously and finish in the top eight of the Europa League league phase. “We must be motivated in every competition. We also have to make the OL fans proud by showing beautiful football on the pitch.”
He will not tear things up straight away. Vicens often used a back three at Braga, but he plans to keep the back four Lyon are used to, with the aim of pressing higher. “It’s a challenge given the timing,” he said. “The aim is to get to know the players and staff as quickly as possible. We also have to keep the continuity in the philosophy and Lyon’s style of play. The idea is to make the transition as smooth as possible so the team is quickly performing.”
As for what he has taken from Guardiola, it is not a tactical idea. It was the daily demand to keep getting better. “I’m really going to keep that,” he said.
A big job, three weeks after Braga
Lyon are fifth in Ligue 1 and 13th in the Europa League table, and his first game is away at Lille on 21 November, straight after the international break. That is not a gentle start.
For City fans, it is a reminder of how far the Guardiola years still reach, a month before his era gets its own exhibition in the new Etihad museum. Lyon also know City well from the other side, having sold them Rayan Cherki.
Set pieces came up when Lyon called Guardiola, and Lyon clearly took the reference seriously. If he gets them back into the Champions League, Pep’s phone may ring a lot more often.
