Lens part ways with coach Dino Toppmöller after six matches

RC Lens announced on 15 September 2026 that it was parting ways with its German head coach, Dino Toppmöller, after only six matches of the new Ligue 1 season. The club described the split as a joint decision. Under Toppmöller, Lens had won three games, drawn one and lost two.

French media reported that the break followed a disagreement over the staff, linked to one of the coach's close assistants. The departure came only weeks after he had been appointed, and it put sporting director Jean-Louis Leca under scrutiny, since he had helped choose him.

Yannick Cahuzac, who had joined the coaching staff as an assistant in July 2026 on a three-season deal, took charge for the next league match at Monaco. The club confirmed him as head coach two days later. The 41-year-old had captained Lens from 2019 to 2022, so he was a familiar figure for supporters.

The change mattered because it showed how little patience the club had at the start of the season. It also set up the sequence of coaching changes that followed at the club.