Juninho Pernambucano has told RMC that Lyon are considering him as a potential successor to outgoing coach Remi Garde.
#INSERT type:image caption:Juninho won seven consecutive league titles with Lyon. END#
Garde, 48, will end his three-year tenure at the club following Saturday's final league game at Nice and the subsequent end-of-season promotional tour of South Korea. While Sochaux boss Herve Renard, who is out of contract at the end of the season, met Jean-Michel Aulas in Paris on Wednesday, the OL president, 65, has also contacted Juninho, 39, about the post, as the former Brazil international himself confirmed.
"He called me simply to find out how I was, to know what I thought of my future. We talked a little about my future, and he said to me, 'You are among the three or four names I'm thinking about. I'm thinking about you," the former Lyon midfielder, who helped the club to an unprecedented seven successive Ligue 1 titles between 2002 and 2008, explained.
"I didn't expect the president's call. I have never disguised the fact I have always wanted to continue to participate in football as a coach. I think I would be capable. But things change very quickly. Before I had a little girl, now I have three children. A lot of things have changed. I need time to think. We're going to talk about it again next week. But in terms of the challenge, I feel ready to take it on, even if the team won't have the means with which to bring in a lot of players. I feel capable of doing it."
Reims coach Hubert Fournier, Guingamp boss Jocelyn Gourvennec and former France and Lyon coach Raymond Domenech have also been linked to the job after Garde announced on Tuesday he had rejected a contract extension in order to take a break from football.