Lyon continued their impressive winning run on Sunday, taking it to 13 games in all competitions, and Paulo Fonseca felt the love.
A 2-0 win over Nice moved OL to within six points of PSG in second and Fonseca was visibly moved at the turnaround.
Back in March Fonseca was handed an almighty nine-month ban for a disgraceful head-to-head confrontation with a referee.
Yet Lyon held onto their coach, and their very unpopular former president John Textor deserves some credit.
“Happy Birthday Paulo! I stand with you today and always,” the American wrote on the Portuguese’s birthday.
“You made a mistake, your apology was sincere, and your punishment is clearly too severe.
“You are clearly the right man for OL and we shall persevere. Allez l’OL!”
As it turned out, Textor was proved right, with Fonseca returning to the touchline this season and crafting one of the best defences in Europe.
Fonseca moved to tears by Lyon fans
After hitting the 13-game winning mark, Fonseca went to the Bad Gones ultras with a club scarf and was brought to tears.
“Today was a very important day,” he said afterwards.
“Everyone understands how these three points could be a good step for us.
“That’s why everyone was so happy at the end. The team’s performances so far have been magnificent, and the group deserves it. This victory was very important for us.”
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