It had been in the air for a few weeks now. It is now done. Jocelyn Gourvennec, under contract until June 2023, is no longer the coach of Lille. The Breton technician and Losc have agreed to an amicable separation. A club press release endorsed this information on Thursday, which had started to leak in the afternoon. Arrived in the North to replace Christophe Galtier, in the summer of 2021, Gourvennec qualified the French champion club for the knockout stages of the Champions League (elimination against Chelsea), but he could not do better than tenth place in Ligue 1.
Escorted by a certain mistrust from its signature, it had nevertheless seemed, at the beginning of the winter, to reverse the trend somewhat. But the chaotic end of the championship for his team, reflected in the facts by 3 successes over the last ten days, will have sealed his fate. With the Mastiffs, however, he won the Champions Trophy against PSG (1-0). Despite a few bangs, the transplant never really caught on in the North. In the evening, the former midfielder posted a farewell message on his Instagram account.
” A page turns. I wanted to thank my staff, all the employees of LOSC, sports and administrative, as well as all the players, he wanted to greet. A committed and close-knit group with whom we experienced such historic moments for LOSC! The Champions Trophy (against PSG, 1-0) and this magnificent run in the Champions League (until the round of 16 against Chelsea)! My thanks also go to all the fans who supported me throughout the season. »
Lille leaders would have clearly identified his successor. According to concordant sources, it would be the Portuguese Paulo Fonseca. The former coach of AS Roma or Chakhtior Donetsk would be offered a two-year contract, with an optional 3rd year.
