At Lens, a coaching change that should have been judged on the pitch has instead been pulled into an ugly online argument. Sporting director Jean-Louis Leca has defended the appointment of Yannick Cahuzac following Dino Toppmöller’s departure on Tuesday, rejecting suggestions that friendship rather than merit dictated the decision.
Leca addresses criticism over Cahuzac appointment
Leca faced the issue directly during a press conference on Thursday after social-media messages claimed he had promoted Cahuzac simply because of their personal relationship.
The Lens sporting director accepted that supporters may make the connection, but insisted that Cahuzac’s credentials should not be erased by their friendship. He pointed to comments made four months earlier by Olivier Pantaloni, who had spoken highly of Cahuzac and described him as a coach with the potential to become one of France’s leading managers.
- Leca confirmed that Cahuzac is a friend from his past.
- He said their relationship does not alter the club’s internal hierarchy.
- At Lens, Leca said he is Cahuzac’s direct superior, while Benjamin Parrot is above Leca in the chain of command.
- He stressed that socialising away from the club is separate from their professional responsibilities at the training ground.
“Yes, he is my friend, there is no issue with that,” Leca said. “But inside this club, he is not my friend. Here, I am his superior and Ben is mine.”
Riolo condemns online allegations
Daniel Riolo backed Leca in his Thursday appearance on After, arguing that the press conference had largely been necessary because of the scale and nature of the messages circulating online rather than reporting in the mainstream media.
Riolo said some of the comments had targeted Leca and Cahuzac because they are Corsican. He also referred to online theories linking the situation to Florian Thauvin’s previous spell at Bastia, describing such claims as baseless and deeply distasteful.
He argued that Leca should ultimately be assessed on whether Cahuzac succeeds at Lens, not on suspicion surrounding a friendship or their background.
- Riolo described Leca’s work as sporting director so far as highly successful.
- He said every football executive can make an error and eventually lose his job.
- In his view, Cahuzac’s appointment must be evaluated by its results.
- He said accusing Leca of ulterior motives on the basis of his origin was unacceptable.
“We will see whether he has made the wrong choice,” Riolo said. “If he gets it wrong, he will leave like anyone else in football who has made a mistake. But judging him in advance, especially because of where he comes from, is disgusting.”
Lens await the football verdict
The debate now moves beyond the noise of social media. Cahuzac takes charge after Toppmöller’s exit with the club’s hierarchy making clear that his work, rather than his connection to Leca, will determine whether the decision is vindicated.
For Leca, the message was equally clear: friendship can exist outside the club, but Lens’ sporting decisions remain subject to the same scrutiny, authority and consequences as any other appointment in French football.
