Limit the situation at Olympique Lyon

There was a time, not so long ago, when PSG’s current hegemony in Ligue 1 and in French football was not even expected. An era where national titles were not usually won by the team from the French capital and where it was common to see other clubs win trophies without being considered a “surprise”.

In fact, the best streak of league titles is held by Olympique Lyonnais and the seven consecutive league titles between 2001 and 2008, a glorious period for a club that underwent a decay almost irreversible.

The first decade of the 20th century was the most successful period for Les Gones, not only for the seven leagues in a row, also for the great role for many years in the top European competition and, above all, for as it has one of the best quarries on the continent. It contains names like Karim Benzema, Samuel Umtiti either Nabil Fekirplayers who years later would become stars of this sport.

In 2011, everything changed. The arrival of multimillion-dollar Qatari investors marked the beginning of PSG’s preponderance over other French teams. To the point that ten years later, the relegation of teams like Bordeaux Girondins and the Saint-Etiennesecond and third respectively in the historical classification of Ligue 1. Of course, Olympique Lyon also suffered this.

Fight or die

With ups and downs, Olympique has had more than acceptable in the last fifteen years, even reaching the semi-final of the Champions League in 2020. But from that year, the club entered a decline that if where the end is seen is more than complicated. .

The sale of key players and the poor performance of signings who had to live up to the challenge meant that the results and atmosphere among the fans, in the locker room and even in the offices were from bad to worse.

In the 21-22 season, with Peter Bosz at the helm, the team finished the campaign in eighth, the worst position since 1997. That same year, Jean Michel-Aulas, the club’s historic president, sold his shares to an American fund directed by businessman John Textor.

The manager did not strengthen the squad as he should have in his first two transfer markets and the team continued to have a very poor social and sporting dynamic. Truth that caused the team from European positions for the second year in a row.

This last summer market, more of the same. Players not performing as expected, bad atmosphere in the locker room and tension in a box that two weeks ago decided to fire the coach Laurent Blanc to put Fabio Grosso in his place. The Italian debuted with 2 defeats (1-0 against Brest and 2-0 against Reims) and with one draw (3-3 against Lorient after winning 3-1).

The situation, at the limit. In a more than limited group in which there is no thought of European positions but cannot be considered one of the worst in the competition, Mental pressure increases.

The season is long and it, as they say, has only just begun. There is time to turn the situation around. Of course, the reaction should be sooner rather than later. Otherwise, another historic Ligue 1 club could be sentenced hell of the French second division.