Thursday 24 December 2015 20:01, UK
Lyon have removed Hubert Fournier from his role as head coach and replaced him with No 2 Bruno Genesio for the rest of the season.
Fournier's position had been in question for some weeks, with Lyon entering the Christmas break some 25 points behind runaway Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain in ninth place.
No mention was made whether Fournier would be staying with the club in a different role.
Lyon are only six points adrift of second-placed Monaco, but Fournier's hopes of remaining in his job were not helped by the club's performances in the Champions League, where they finished bottom of Group H and failed to secure a place in the Europa League.
Genesio will take over straight away, with his first match in charge coming in the French Cup against Limoges, who play in the sixth tier, on January 3.
"Different ideas were studied...the decision was taken to entrust the team to Bruno Genesio, at least until the end of the season," read a statement from the Ligue 1 club.
Fournier is the second Ligue 1 manager to vacate his job in Christmas week, with Montpellier coach Rolland Courbis having resigned on Wednesday after a run of seven games without a win.
