Former Chelsea manager Graham Potter rejects Lyon job

• Football manager Graham Potter has turned down an opportunity to manage Ligue 1 side Lyon
• Potter has been out of work since Chelsea sacked him back in April this year
• The former Chelsea and Brighton manager has also been linked with Fulham job

Former Chelsea manager Graham Potter has declined an offer to return to managerial with Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyon after being approached for the job this week.

Potter has been without a managerial position since April when he was dismissed as Chelsea’s manager. The former Brighton and Swansea coach had a relatively short stint at Stamford Bridge, lasting just eight months after taking over from Thomas Tuchel. During his tenure with the Blues, he achieved a rather modest 38.7% win rate.

Since parting ways with Chelsea, Potter’s name has been linked to several managerial vacancies, with one notable opportunity being the Fulham managerial position when Marco Silva was in talks to join Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal. However, that move did not materialize.

Graham Potter was sacked by Chelsea in April and has been jobless since. The manager has turned down an opportunity to manage Ligue 1 side Lyon. | PHOTO: Goal |

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The latest club expressing interest in Potter’s services is the Ligue 1 powerhouse, Olympique Lyonnais. Reports confirm that John Textor, one of the club’s co-owners, held discussions with Potter this week with the intention of offering him the role of first-team manager at the Groupama Stadium. Despite this tempting offer, Potter has chosen to decline the opportunity.

The current manager of Lyon, Laurent Blanc, is on the verge of losing his job due to a dismal start to the 2023/24 campaign. Lyon has only managed to secure one point from their initial four matches of the season, suffering losses to Montpellier and Paris Saint-Germain with 4-1 scorelines in that period. As a result, they currently find themselves at the bottom of the league table.

With Potter no longer in contention for the Lyon managerial role, Will Still has emerged as the frontrunner to assume the position. Will Still, an English manager, gained internet notoriety last season due to his impressive results with Reims and his fondness for the football management simulation game, Football Manager.

In conclusion, Graham Potter has declined an enticing offer to take charge of Olympique Lyonnais as their first-team manager. This decision comes after Potter’s recent stint with Chelsea and amid ongoing struggles for Lyon in the early stages of the current season. With Potter out of consideration, Will Still is now the leading candidate to potentially lead Lyon and attempt to turn their fortunes around in Ligue 1.