Dino Topmoller has described his dismissal from Lens as a “big shock and total disappointment“. The German coach said he was completely stunned by the decision, which ended his time at the French club after less than three months.
“I was completely stunned. It was a big blow for me to find out that my assistant was staying on and I was being sacked,“ Topmoller told the Spielmacher von 360Media podcast.
The dispute was over his assistant
The German was appointed Lens manager on June 16. His assistant was the Portuguese Nelson Morgado, whom Topmoller said was “very noisy, very demanding and in conflict with everyone“.
However, Topmoller stood by his assistant and pointed out that it was more important for him to be able to look himself in the mirror calmly than to remain on the bench of the French team. Thus, he presented his separation from Lens as a consequence of a disagreement over the work of the coaching staff.
Three wins and a trophy won
Topmoller's start in Lens was successful. In his first official match, he led the team to a 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain and won the Trophee des Champions, or French Super Cup.
The coach was fired on September 15 with a balance of three wins, one draw and two losses. His stay ended after a short period, although he managed to add a trophy to his career at the helm of the club.
Topmoler does not plan a long break
The German specialist, who previously led Eintracht Frankfurt in the matches against Levski in the Conference League playoffs, said that he is ready to return to coaching soon.
“I will definitely not take a year off“, said Topmoler.He left open the possibility of quickly accepting a new offer after the unexpected end of his short assignment in France.
Sources: BTA