German coach Toppmöller was sacked from Lens, in France, after defending his Portuguese assistant, Nélson Morgado. The club intended to dismiss the coach's right-hand man, but Toppmöller firmly opposed this decision, which is said to have accelerated his own departure from the team.
The situation became untenable when Toppmöller threatened not to continue at the club if Nélson Morgado was removed. Faced with this inflexible position from the coach, Lens management chose to terminate the contract with the German coach rather than give in to his demand.
Nélson Morgado, of Portuguese nationality, was considered a fundamental piece in Toppmöller's staff, functioning as his main assistant and right-hand man. His presence was so important to the coach that it ended up costing Toppmöller his own job.
With this dismissal, Lens is left without a head coach and without the Portuguese assistant, at a time of great instability for the French club, which is going through a complicated phase of the season.
