Olympique Lyon sack head coach Laurent Blanc over team’s poor performance

By Can Erozden

French football club Olympique Lyon dismissed their head coach Laurent Blanc on Monday due to their poor performance in the domestic league.

In a statement, Olympique Lyon said the club and Blanc "mutually" decided to part ways.

The club thanked 57-year-old Blanc and his staff for their service and professionalism during the past 11 months.

Blanc, a former France and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) head coach, was previously hired by Olympique Lyon in October 2022.

One of the well-known clubs in Europe, Olympique Lyon are now at the bottom of the French Ligue 1 table with a point in four matches this season.

Blanc, an important figure in French football, has won four French titles -- three with PSG in 2014-2016 and one with Bordeaux in 2009.

Former France defender Blanc won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA EURO 2000 title with his nation.

He helped Manchester United win the 2003 English Premier League.

Before Man Utd, he played for many clubs including France's Montpellier, Olympique Marseille, Saint-Etienne and Auxerre and Italian club Inter Milan as well as Spanish powerhouse Barcelona.