Taking a look at coaches who have excelled in European football this season

#4 Bruno Génésio (Olympique Lyonnais)

The mild-mannered Génésio has taken a young Lyon team shorn of some top players to great heights

The display of a young & vibrant Les Gones team against heavy spending league leaders PSG last weekend served as a reminder of the quality which the team possesses and much of the credit for that and many other performances goes to the mild-mannered 51-year-old Génésio.

In proving the maxim that “talent is universal but opportunity is not” true, the French tactician who is Lyon through & true was handed the reins to the club in 2015 after the departure of Hubert Fournier.

He has had to work with a squad that has constantly being raided by European giants desperate to get their hands on the graduates of the club’s brilliant Centre Tola Vologe set-up which has seen many a brilliant footballer pass through.

Out have gone the stellar talents of players like Corentin Tolisso, Alexandre Lacazette, Maxim Gonlalons and while these exits have brought considerable monies to the club’s coffers, it is Génésio that has had to pick up the pieces and rebuild.

Making full use of the club’s academy as well as young signings with a point to prove (Memphis Depay & Mariano Diaz among others), Génésio has fashioned a pacy, cohesive unit that seeks to break opponents down by attacking relentlessly with pace and precision.

While this philosophy places a lot of responsibilities on a relatively inexperienced defence to keep it tight, the forward line led by irrepressible captain Nabil Fekir is scoring for fun.

The team are second in Ligue 1 and safely navigated its Europa League group stage with great performances against the likes of Atalanta & Everton.