Lyon will miss out on Europe when a new era begins
Lyon, once the dominant force in French football, is set to miss out again on European qualification due to a disappointing campaign on the field.
The Ligue 1 campaign is down to just three matches, including Friday’s match. MonacoLyon is seventh in the table, but four points behind the qualification spot for next season’s Europa Conference League.
A club that played in Europe for 23 consecutive seasons and reached the Champions League Semi-Finals in 2020 is set to embark on a third season in four years, without taking part in continental competition.
The once-famous French model club has seen its fortunes decline on the Rhone banks. They were champions for seven consecutive years between 2002 and 2008, but now they are in decline.
Laurent Blanc’s appointment as coach, following a poor season start, was not enough for OL to return to their rightful position after they finished eighth last year.
Since returning to the Ligue 1, Alexandre Lacazette, a local hero who was a Ligue 1 goal scorer of 25, has had a successful return. ArsenalLyon are not the same force that they used to be.
After last week’s 2-1 loss to modest Clermont, France’s 1998 World Cup champion Blanc admitted that “Europe is bust”.
“If they don’t agree, then I will need to be proven wrong.” He told reporters Wednesday that he would be “very happy” to be proved wrong.
John Textor of Eagle Football, a businessman from the United States, took over Lyon Football in December.
Jean-Michel Aulas was the president of Lyon since 1987. He initially continued in this role, but the man responsible for building the modern club left his post earlier this month.
Textor is now in a position to mold the club to his liking. He will make significant changes to scouting, though Blanc seems to be staying on as coach.
The US entrepreneur Michele Kang, who is the new owner of Lyon’s successful women’s football team, has agreed to buy a controlling interest in the highly-successful women’s squad. Lyon’s women’s soccer team won eight times in a row.
What the future holds is still to be determined for what once was a force in European men’s football.
Blanc stated that “this season marks the end and the beginning of another era in June.” “We need to be ambitious.”
Players to watch Mostafa Mohamed
The Egyptian striker has not played for Nantes In their 0-0 draw against Toulouse Last weekend, Ligue 1 fans took to the streets in protest of a new anti-homophobia initiative.
He wrote on Twitter that he could not participate in the campaign because of his roots, culture, and the importance of his convictions and beliefs.
Mohamed has been fined by the club but will be expected to return in Saturday’s match against Montpellier. The Galatasaray loanee, who has 11 goals in this season’s campaign, will be crucial for Nantes as they try to get out of the relegation zones.
Key Stats
11 – PSG This weekend, a French record could be set by winning the 11th title in the league. The previous record was 10 for Saint-Etienne.
The number of Ligue 1 goal scored by this season Kylian MbappeLacazette is one point behind him in the top scorers chart.
19 – Folarin BalogunYou can borrow a car from Reims Last week, he became the top English scorer in a French season, surpassing Glenn Hoddle, who scored 18 goals for Monaco in 1988/89. This week, he switched his allegiance to the United States from England.
Fixtures (times GMT).
Friday
Lyon v Monaco (1900)
Saturday
Nantes v Montpellier (1500), Lille v Marseille (1900)
Sunday
Ajaccio v Rennes (1100), Brest v Clermont, Nice v Toulouse, Reims v Angers, Troyes v Strasbourg (1300), Lorient Lens (1505), Auxerre Paris Saint-Germain, 1845
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