Fabio Grosso lost dressing room prior to Lyon exit

“If you think it’s me, go and see (John) Textor and tell him to fire me, but have the balls to say it to my face first. Personally, I think it’s our fault, as a collective, but if you don’t agree, go and tell Textor. I just ask you that you tell me first,” Fabio Grosso told his players in the days leading up to his sacking, according to L’Équipe. The Italian had seemingly lost control of his dressing room towards the end, and according to reports, his players weren’t sad to see the back of him. 

Grosso’s time as manager of Olympique Lyonnais was the shortest in the club’s history. He was in the dugout for just seven games after replacing Laurent Blanc in mid-September and won just once. He leaves the club rock bottom of Ligue 1 and in crisis.   

Throughout his short tenure, Grosso seemingly struggled to get a grasp on the dressing room. In late October, he cancelled a training session and went on a mole hunt after a story was leaked to RMC Sport the night before. An unnamed player from OL’s dressing room told the publication that Grosso was “one of the worst managers he had ever had”, prompting the Italian manager to attempt to find the source of the leak. 

As time progressed and as Grosso desperately attempted to find solutions, key players, notably Alexandre Lacazette and Rayan Cherki were dropped, “weakening” Grosso’s position in the dressing room. Grosso’s outburst, during which he tempted his players to “go and see Textor,”  which reportedly took place at the training ground on Monday was a sign of a manager who felt isolated, especially in the dying stages of his tenure. Having lost the dressing room, Textor then renounced his support and the shortest reign in OL’s history came to an end.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle