Bruno Genesio announces Lyon departure

Lyon manager Bruno Genesio has confirmed that he would be stepping down from the managerial position at the end of the season.

The 52-year-old had initially agreed on a two-year contract with Les Gones, but he is said to have objected the deal thereafter with the club suffering four defeats on the bounce across all competitions.

In a press conference covered by Le 10 Sport, Genesio said that there has been plenty of negativity surrounding his style of management at the club and he has hence decided to step down from the head coach role at the end of the campaign, he quipped: "For some time I have faced a negative climate, which can be a drag on the players and the club. I informed my players this morning [and now] I'm counting on everyone to [support] the team."

Meanwhile, when asked about his future plans, Genesio suggested that he could take a break from the sport after a three-and-a-half year stint with Les Gones, but refused to rule out a comeback with the club in some other capacity. Lyon have endured a mixed season by their standards and strong performances against Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have coincided with a few shocking results.

Lyon are currently in a run of four defeats across all competitions and that has included a 3-2 loss to Rennes during the semi-final of the French Cup.

Despite this, they continue to hold onto the third spot, which assures them of Champions League football for next season and it remains to be seen whether players can show extra-motivation for their departing head coach. At present, Les Gones are just three points ahead of Saint-Etienne in the race for the third spot, but they can return to winning ways when they host Angers on Friday night.