Olympiacos are set to return to Europe for their first match after May's Europa Conference League triumph in Athens. And Thrylos are facing a massive obstacle in Lyon on Thursday at the Groupama Stadium. Aron Walters brings you everything you need to know about our Europa League opponents:
Getting to know you: Olympique Lyonnais
Background
Olympique Lyonnais, more commonly known as OL or simply Lyon, are a French football
club based in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region of France, in the city of Lyon. Lyon
play their home games at Parc Olympique Lyonnais, currently known as Groupama
Stadium due to sponsorship. The stadium was purpose-built for the club and opened in 2016.
With a seating capacity of over 59,000, it is the third-largest stadium in France, behind
Stade de France and Marseille’s Velodrome, and ranks 31st in Europe.
The club's colors are white, red, and blue, and they are widely recognized for their
passionate fanbase and role as one of the top clubs in French football.
The club also has a women’s team, Olympique Lyonnais Feminin, which is one of the
world’s top clubs in women’s football. The team has been crowned champions of
France a record 17 times and has won the Champions League eight times, also a
record.
Honours and European Experience
OL won their first title in 1951, the Ligue 2 title, which they have won twice more (1954 and 1989).
Lyon experienced their first major titles and a period of sustained success during the
1960s and 1970s. During this time, they won the Coupe de France three times (1964,
1967 and 1973) and finished runners-up in three other seasons (1963, 1971 and 1976).
The club also won the Coupe de France in 2008 and 2012, along with a single Coupe
de la Ligue (2001).
Their first top-flight league title didn’t come until the new millennium. Having previously
finished runners-up twice, Olympique Lyonnais lifted the Ligue 1 title for the first time at
the end of the 2001-02 season. Lyon went on to win the title for an incredible seven
consecutive seasons, a feat unprecedented in France – and still unmatched.
The club has a long history of playing in Europe, dating back to the 1959-60 season. The 2024-25 season will be their 37th playing in European competition.
Olympiacos have met Lyon in three previous European campaigns. In the 1963-64 Cup
Winners’ Cup, Lyon emerged victorious in the second round, winning 4-1 in France and
losing 1-2 in Piraeus, knocking Thrylos out 5-3 on aggregate.
In the 2000-01 Champions League group stage, the spoils were shared, with Lyon
recording a 1-0 home win and Olympiacos winning 2-1 at home. The sides most
recently met in the 2005-06 Champions League, with Lyon winning both matches, 2-1 at
home and 4-1 at Georgios Karaiskakis.
Despite their domestic dominance, Lyon have never won a major European title. They
have been semi-finalists four times: in the 1963-64 Cup Winners’ Cup and the 2016-17
Europa League. Their greatest continental achievement to date is reaching the
Champions League semi-finals twice, in 2009-10 and 2019-20, losing to Bayern Munich
on both occasions.
In the Hot Seat
A relative unknown, Pierre Sage is the current head coach at Lyon. Sage began his
football career playing solely for CS Belley before transitioning into coaching, starting as
a technical manager at Plastics Vallee FC. After brief stints as a scout and technical
director, he managed Chambery in 2013 and Sedan in 2016, eventually joining Lyon-
Duchere as an assistant manager in 2018.
Sage first coached Lyon's youth team in 2019, later moving to Red Star before returning to manage Lyon's academy in 2023. He took over as interim manager in November that year and was confirmed as head coach in January 2024, leading the team to Europa League qualification and signing a
new contract until 2026.
Route in Europe, Season-to-Date
Like Olympiacos, Lyon secured direct qualification to the Europa League group stage,
having finished 6th in the 2023-24 Ligue 1 table. This will also be the team’s first
European game of the season.
The 2024-25 season hasn’t started well for OL in France. They’ve lost three of their
opening five Ligue 1 matches, picking up just one win and a draw. Most recently, they
lost 2-3 at home to Marseille, with their sole win coming on matchday 3 in a high-scoring
4-3 victory over Strasbourg. The French giants find themselves at the wrong end of the
Ligue 1 table, currently sitting in 14th place.
Players to Watch
Lyon boasts a strong squad, well-balanced with French and international talent.
Chelsea and Manchester United hero Nemanja Matic, former West Ham player Said Benrahma, and ex-Arsenal aces Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Alexandre Lazacette bring a wealth of Premier League experience to their ranks.
Central midfielder Corentin Tolisso, a product of Lyon’s academy, broke into the first
team in the 2013-14 season. After four seasons the Frenchman moved to Bayern
Munich, where he stayed for five years before returning to Lyon. He has been one of the
team’s top performers this season.
Nigerian striker Gift Orban provides a goal threat. Orban began his European career in
Norway, scoring 19 goals in 24 appearances for Stabaek before moving to Gent in
Belgium, where he netted 32 goals in a season and a half. He joined Lyon in the
January 2024 transfer window.
Another exciting prospect for OL is Georges Mikautadze. The Georgian international
joined Lyon this summer after an impressive Euro 2024 for his country. Born in Lyon to
Georgian parents, Mikautadze is yet to score for his new club in his first five games, but
he is no stranger to finding the net in France. Playing for Metz in 2022-23, he scored 23
league goals in 37 appearances, helping the team secure promotion. Ajax signed him in
2023 but he failed to settle in Amsterdam. He returned to Metz on loan in January
2024, where he scored 13 goals in 20 Ligue 1 games.
Thrylos 7 International are nominated for Best International Podcast at the Football Content Awards!!!
You can vote for us HERE
Thank you in advance!!!
Comments