When London City Lionesses sacked manager Jocelyn Precheur it sparked controversy - but they are a club who have always done things differently.
When London City Lionesses sacked manager Jocelyn Precheur it sparked controversy - but they are a club who have always done things differently.
Was this a harsh decision by a well-resourced club who had a desire to run before they could walk?
Or was it a ruthless, strategic move to strive for long-term success from an ambitious club who are not afraid to break the norm?
BBC Sport looks at the reasons why Precheur was sacked, what the club plans for the future and why Eder Maestre is lined up to take over as the new head coach.
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Why did London City make a change?
The simple answer is ambition.
London City have exploded on to the scene in England with huge investment from multi-club owner Michele Kang.
Wealthy businesswoman Kang owns eight-time Champions League winners Lyon and American club Washington Spirit so has a history of success.
Umbrella company Kynisca oversees football and business operations for the three clubs and Markel Zubizarreta sits at the top of that as the global sporting director.
London City, led by chief executive officer Martin Semmens, have been working on a long-term project to achieve their aims of reaching European competition by 2026 - an ambitious target for a newly promoted club.
Zubizarreta, Semmens and London City general manager Gonzalo Rodriguez Garcia were involved in the decision-making over Precheur's departure, and the future hiring of their new head coach, while Kang gives the ultimate go-ahead.
London City are midway through their debut WSL season and have hit the ground running with five wins from 11 matches, putting them in sixth place.
Precheur guided them through WSL 2 and has overseen their solid start to this season - but club sources say they have been considering a new direction for a while.
The decision to sack Precheur was not based on results - the club are where they hoped to be at this stage - but because they crave a coach who can deliver a unique style of football and take their identity closer to that of Lyon's.
There was a feeling that Precheur's style would not deliver long-term success and the club intend to implement changes to its structure.
It could be a premature sacking with Precheur's experience making him a respectable figure in the women's game. He led Paris St-Germain to the Champions League semi-finals in 2024 before winning WSL 2 with London City.
But London City are not afraid of making mistakes. They genuinely believe this ruthless decision will pay dividends in the future and hope to be judged on that.
What do they want in the future?
While Frenchman Precheur's impact was important during the club's infancy, there is a feeling London City are being influenced by Spanish football and its success.
Barcelona have dominated club football in Europe, reaching the Champions League final in six of the past seven seasons and winning the title three times.
Spain's national team are currently the world champions and European runners-up.
So when former Barcelona head coach Jonatan Giraldez joined Kang's Washington Spirit in 2024, before switching to Lyon this year, it was not a huge surprise.
Spanish football has a clear identity and a way of playing - heavy possession-based football with high technical skill. It is believed London City want to achieve that, as well as the traditional physicality of the English game.
The club had a shortlist of coaches they looked at to replace Precheur and did not rule out some from the men's game but appear to have ultimately chosen Maestre, who showed his potential with Spanish clubs CD Tenerife and Real Sociedad.
The main criteria for London City's next appointment is believed to have been centred around the playing style, the coach's ability to collaborate with a wider team of expertise and a track record of developing players and talented youth.
When the appointment is confirmed, Maestre would be expected to play a role in the club's January recruitment.
London City spent big in the summer, bringing in star names such as France international Grace Geyoro and former Lyon midfielder Danielle van de Donk.
The transfer policy this time around is believed to be about targeting future stars who can adapt to London City's new-look training programme and coaching style.
They want to be competing for silverware in the near future, and to battle the Champions League's elite, so they are shopping for future European champions.
Maestre's imminent arrival is likely to be paired with the appointments of other staff members, including analysts and medical experts.
What is clear is that London City are not here to make friends, they are here to rock the boat and are planning big things for the future.
Whether it pays off or not, we will have to wait and see.
Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed
Category: General Sports
