Manchester United’s stunning comeback against Lyon drew praise for Ruben Amorim’s team, but sparked criticism for Lyon coach Paulo Fonseca. Former French international Jérôme Rothen said Fonseca failed “at the beginning and end” of the match.
Rothen made the comments on his show Rothen s’enflamme on RMC Sport. “This elimination will go down in history. It was a huge upset, hard to explain. Lyon made an incredible comeback, showing great efficiency and tactics,” he said.
Critical Decisions
Rothen pointed out that Lyon’s players were already celebrating their win when Lacazette scored, calling it a mental issue. “Paulo Fonseca made mistakes at the start and finish. A coach is crucial to how a team plays. He went wrong at the start by underestimating the challenge of playing at Old Trafford, thinking they could stick to the same tactics as the first leg,” Rothen said.
He also criticized Fonseca for the team’s mental breakdown. “He’s responsible for the team’s mental failure. Watch him celebrating the penalty that made it 4-2. He was like the others, feeling like they were already in the final,” Rothen added.
Some key points from Rothen’s criticism include:
- Fonseca underestimated the challenge of playing at Old Trafford
- The team stuck to the same tactics as the first leg
- Fonseca is responsible for the team’s mental breakdown