Graham Potter ‘turns down top job at French club after being interviewed for the position’… as the former Chelsea and Brighton boss decides ‘it’s not the right time to return’

Graham Potter has reportedly turned down an offer from a top club in France after being interviewed for the position earlier this week.

The 48-year-old has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea in April after less than seven months in charge.

However, he was considered a potential replacement for under fire Lyon manager Laurent Blanc.

Potter conducted an interview with the French giants earlier this week, but has reportedly turned down the opportunity.

As reported by the AthleticsPotter found the position attractive, but has decided now is not the right time to return to management.

Lyon are bottom of Ligue 1 with one point from four games and the players received an extraordinary dressing up from their fans after a 4-1 defeat to PSG on Sunday

The French side is considering possible replacements for under fire boss Laurent Blanc

Potter suffered 11 defeats in 31 games at Chelsea after replacing Thomas Tuchel as he struggled to cope with their bloated squad following last season’s heavy spending.

However, Potter did impress in Brighton beforehand, meaning they finished in the top half for the first time in 2022 since they were promoted to the Premier League in 2017.

He was previously in contention to become manager of Nice before the French side decided to sign 34-year-old Francesco Farioli from Turkey’s Alanyaspor in June.

Lyon were once France’s top team, winning the Ligue 1 title in seven consecutive seasons from 2002 to 2008.

However, they have not won a league title since Paris Saint-Germain dominated the competition for the last ten years.

Lyon have had a miserable start to the Ligue 1 season, with one point from four matches putting them at the bottom of the table.

Players were given a dress down by the club’s ultras following their 4-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain last weekend, with the club now looking for replacements for Blanc.

Lyon trailed PSG 4-0 at half-time this weekend thanks to a brace from Kylian Mbappé and goals from Achraf Hakimi and summer signing Marco Asensio.

Potter has been out of work since he was sacked by Chelsea in April after less than seven months in charge

Corentin Tolisso’s penalty in the second half offered little consolation to Lyon, who also lost 4-1 to Montpellier last month.

After the final whistle against PSG, the players found themselves in front of the Virage Nord, which housed the Bad Gones ultras – Lyon’s most prominent ultras group and one of the largest in Ligue 1.

The Lyon players stared sheepishly at the stands as one of the leaders of the ultras addressed them through a megaphone.

“To the Olympique Lyonnais 2023-2024 squad, this message is addressed to you,” he said.

“For those who take on the status of leader in the locker room, the message is clear: if there are leaders in this locker room, they no longer have the right to remain silent.

“You’re wearing the Olympique Lyonnais shirt. You are the ones wearing the Olympique Lyon shirt.

“Others before you have carried and glorified it.

Lyon players warned for ‘smearing’ the club’s shirt after a 4-1 defeat to PSG

One of the leaders of the Bad Gones ultra group urged the team leaders to act

“You have no right to sully it. Now that the transfer window is over, the squad is here. All we ask is to be by your side.

“But in order to do that, you’ll have to earn it. We love and respect this shirt.

“There’s only one more thing we ask: to sing your names. Sing them with love, not as we sang little *******’s names. who have left our club in the past six months.

‘We want to sing your names with respect, with love. Because we know you play with love.

“But we expect you to respect our jersey (…) and if we have to take our losses, we will do so with our heads held high. Go OL.’