French giant on the ropes: Famous coach wants to quit Lyon already

When the season 2021/22 started in France, nobody could have believed that two French giants and multiple time champions Saint Etienne and Bordeaux could be relegated and yet, that’s exactly what happened. And they are still in Ligue 2. Every year there is a club which either gets relegated or is unexpectedly in a fight to stay up and if we look at the current situation in Lyon, nobody should wanted if something similar happens to this big club. The seven consecutive league titles winner (the longest streak in any of the Top 5 leagues in Europe after Bayern Munich) and the two time Champions League semi-finalist is at a sharp decline in recent years, and the upcoming season looks as bad as ever. It is the club where even the coach is threatening to quit just before the season starts.

Until 2019, Lyon was still among top three teams in France, but has made it inside the first four spots only once since. And the way the club looks just days before the new season, the number seven spot, achieved last season, could only be a dream. Let’s start with the coach. Laurent Blanc came during the season, and stabilized the team which was ruined by Peter Bosz, but still, nothing has been done this season, provoking the famous Frenchman to issue a warning.

“We are not lucky at the moment but I think it will turn out. The most important thing is to be complete, I hope against Strasbourg, if by then there is a coach in Lyon” said Laurent Blanc a few days ago, but his last sentence was removed from the club’s website.

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There are few reasons for this statement. First of all, the squad is nearly not strong enough as the last time. Many of the first team players left (Malo Gusto (Chelsea), Aouar (Roma), Boateng (released), Dembele (Al-Ettifaq), Faivre (Bournemouth), Mendes (Al-Rayyan)), while young perspective player like Bradley Barcola is on a verge of moving to PSG. He is the third team’s goalscorer with only 5 goals, since Alexandre Lacazette was there to save his team with stunning 27 goals. On the other side, Lyon (so far) brought in Clinton Mata from Brugges, Skelly Alvero (relegated with Sochaux), and Dule Caleta-Car (relegated with Southampton). Not impressive at all.

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The club also lost its last four pre-season games which is never a good sign before the start of the season A few weeks ago, in L'Equipe, Laurent Blanc admitted he nearly quitted the job after just few months.

"As I said sincerely to my staff: 'I'm going to leave if we don't change things.' (...) You have the feeling that you won't be able to do it. There's too much work, players not in the spirit of the club. There were far too many players, clans... I did not feel able to do it with this group. There was a deleterious atmosphere” he said. And last, but not least, appointed by the suddenly departed Jean-Michel Aulas last season, Blanc does not have unlimited credit with the decision-makers and new owner, American John Textor tends to change his coaches quickly. So, Lyon’s form will be closely monitored, especially if the French giants doesn’t pick up points against Strasbourg, Montpellier and Nice.