French team Lens fires coach Dino Toppmöller after just 6 games in charge

By: The Associated Press Posted: 2:20 PM CDT Tuesday, Sep. 15, 2026

LENS, France (AP) — French club Lens fired manager Dino Toppmöller on Tuesday after just six games in charge, saying that diverging views with the German coach could not be resolved.

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LENS, France (AP) — French club Lens fired manager Dino Toppmöller on Tuesday after just six games in charge, saying that diverging views with the German coach could not be resolved.

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LENS, France (AP) — French club Lens fired manager Dino Toppmöller on Tuesday after just six games in charge, saying that diverging views with the German coach could not be resolved.

Lens, in 10th place in Ligue 1 after finishing second behind Paris Saint-Germain last season, said Yannick Cahuzac will take temporary charge for Friday’s match at Monaco.

“Following numerous discussions regarding the squad and the coaching staff’s operations and organization, (Lens) informed its head coach of its intention to restructure the staff,” Lens said. “As Dino Toppmöller could not align with these structural changes, the club made the responsible decision to terminate his tenure, as well as that of his two assistants.”

FILE - Frankfurt's head coach Dino Toppmöller arrives for the German Bundesliga soccer match between RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt in Leipzig, Germany, Dec. 6, 2025. (Jan Woitas/dpa via AP, File)

Lens added that Toppmöller, who signed a two-year contract in June, waved away a “substantial amount” of his severance pay.

The 45-year-old Toppmöller previously coached Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. When he arrived, Toppmöller pledged to play a high-octane brand of attacking soccer at Lens.

He started well as French Cup winner Lens beat PSG in the French Super Cup — despite playing the second half with 10 players — and then won 5-2 at home over Auxerre.

But Lens lost the next two league games and salvaged a 2-2 draw at Le Mans last Sunday after going 2-0 down. That followed a 3-2 away win over Sparta Prague in the Champions League, where Lens twice fell behind before winning with two injury-time goals.

Toppmöller was fired by Frankfurt in January following a lean spell, where the team also leaked goals. But he had impressively led Frankfurt into the Champions League after finishing third in the Bundesliga during the 2024-25 season.

His father, Klaus Toppmöller was also a coach, leading unheralded Bayer Leverkusen to the Champions League final in 2002, where it lost to Real Madrid. ___

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