Rudi Garcia preferred to avoid the subject. Asked about his future this Friday at a press conference, the Rhone coach referred journalists to the comments made by Jean-Michel Aulas several weeks ago: "We stick with what we said with the leaders . We will take stock when the championship is over. It is logical what happens at the moment when a player or a coach is at the end of the contract. There are plenty of rumors going around but it's not a particular problem, ”he said. Before adding that he wanted to remain focused on the end of the season to allow Olympique Lyonnais to regain the Champions League: “The main thing is to win in Nîmes, the rest does not matter. You still have to hear or read the news, which is not my case.It seems logical that we can fill in a bit of white paper with regard to these situations. There were also things about Memphis Depay which is at the end of the contract. Everything makes sense for now. For my part, the answers are always the same. We must remain focused on OL and the Nîmes match. We can still have great satisfaction at the end of the season. "
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OL: Focus on the candidates for the succession of Rudi Garcia
A short-list to replace it
Thus, in fact, the French technician has not yet left the Rhône department. However, his departure appears inevitable in view of the latest information in the press. Lyon leaders have even already targeted several coaches to replace him, according to information from
L'Équipe
. Four names would be present on this small list: Christophe Galtier, still under contract with the LOSC, Patrick Vieira, free since his dismissal from OGC Nice, Roberto De Zerbi, the very popular coach of Sassuolo and Marcelo Gallardo of River Plate, but who could not be released before December according to the sports daily. Another man would have been contacted by the Rhone management according to
Record
.
It would be Paulo Fonseca, who will step down from AS Roma at the end of the fiscal year.
The Portuguese, who will be replaced by his compatriot José Mourinho, would study the proposal.
Tracks in Italy and Russia
Hopes of seeing Rudi Garcia continue in Lyon are therefore very slim. Not sure, moreover, that the ex-coach of LOSC and OM wants to extend. It is said that his relationship with Juninho, the sports director of OL, has deteriorated in recent months. The 2011 French champion must therefore find a new base if he wants to continue training. If he does not seem to have totally convinced the Rhone leaders, the 57-year-old man retains a good rating, especially abroad. Several clubs outside France would be interested in his profile. The first track leads to Italy, where he already officiated between 2013 and 2016 on the bench of AS Roma. According to
La Nazione
, Fiorentina would covet him to take over from Giuseppe Iachini. In recent times, his name has also come out much further east, in Russia.
Metaratings
reported that he was in the sights of Spartak Moscow. “I will not name the nationality of the new coach, but the club applied and started negotiations on a contract. I will not say his name and his first name either. But he's a foreigner, ”the Moscow club's communications director also told Russian media.
It would also not be surprising to see the former midfielder cited elsewhere in the coming weeks.
Because despite mixed results, Rudi Garcia remains one of the most successful French coaches of recent years.
If he has not managed in recent seasons to qualify OM and OL (for the moment) for C1, he has nonetheless obtained convincing results on the European scene.
It was under his orders that the Canebière club once again reached the final of the Europa League and it was with him that the Gones found the semi-finals of the big-eared cup last year.
Performances that should probably attract attention.
In France and elsewhere?
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OL: Focus on the candidates for the succession of Rudi Garcia