Former Lyon and Brazil star Juninho confirmed Wednesday he will leave his role as the French club’s sporting director in January.
The 46-year-old announced last month he would quit the post at the end of the season, but he said was bringing his exit forward to give the club time to find his replacement.
“It’s better so the club can already start preparing for the future and I also need to stop,” Juninho told AFP, confirming reports from local media.
Juninho was a key player for the Lyon teams that won seven Ligue 1 titles in a row between 2002 and 2008.
He left the club in 2009 and returned a decade later as sporting director, bringing in compatriot Sylvinho as the team’s coach — a spell that lasted just 11 matches.
