French media outlets and, among others, Bild are all reporting that the former Eintracht Frankfurt coach has already been forced to step down again. He began the season with a 1-0 win over PSG in the Super Cup, before Lens took a somewhat sobering four points from four league games and, in their opening Champions League match, came from 2-1 down against Slavia Prague to win 3-2.
The split was ultimately triggered by the dismissal of assistant coach Nelson Morgado. The Portuguese is regarded as a close confidant of Toppmöller and had worked with him since 2017, including in Frankfurt. The 37-year-old is said to have made those in charge and the French members of the coaching staff uncomfortable because he had demanded more commitment and more passion from them.
On Monday, the club announced Morgado's departure, after which Toppmöller is said to have dug his heels in. Out of loyalty to his long-time companion, he considered the intervention in his area of work unacceptable. Lens have now also brought the chapter involving the son of coaching legend Klaus Toppmöller to an end.
Why was Dino Toppmöller under fire?
In France, L'Equipe and RMC Sport report that Toppmöller's style of play had also failed to go down particularly well with the fans. Criticism is also said to have poured in after last Sunday's league match at Le Mans, when Lens fought back from 2-0 down to draw. Toppmöller reacted irritably afterwards. "My team cannot start a match like that. I was still very angry at half-time, and I say that because we cannot play like that. Today it is better if I do not say what I said at half-time. (...) The only positive is that we once again showed great character and an outstanding reaction," he fumed.
Still, Toppmöller was without no fewer than six regular starters because of injury and was therefore forced to send several young talents on to the pitch. Among them was 16-year-old Mezian Mesloub. Those measures are said to have generally met with approval from the bosses around general director Benjamin Parrot and sporting director Jean-Louis Leca. But the Morgado affair appears to have turned the mood in a very short space of time.
Getty ImagesWhen was Dino Toppmöller Julian Nagelsmann's assistant coach?
For now, previous assistant coach Yannick Cahuzac will take Toppmöller's place on the touchline for Lens, who are also in the middle of a rebuild. Despite signing, among others, former Bundesliga duo Michael Cuisance and Thorgan Hazard, Lens generated a transfer surplus of around 44 million in the summer. Their most expensive departure was Mamadou Sangare, who moved to FC Brentford in the Premier League for a reported 48 million euros.
Previously, Toppmöller had been in charge in Frankfurt for two and a half years before the two parties went their separate ways in January. Before that, as Julian Nagelsmann's assistant coach, he won two titles with Bayern Munich in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons.