Can you feel something special today? Excitement probably, at least in the OL world. For after weeks of guesses and apparent calm, today’s the first day of training for the players and staff, bar the internationals who have a few more days holidays.
And whilst last year one could feel fear and unrest (remember Aulas criticising the dinosaurs and pharaohs?) at the prospect of a huge whitewash in the players list, this year Lyon’s new strategy is known and accepted, so every OL observer patiently waits until the -few- remaining “big names” of the team are being sold.
So, school resumed today. 24 players were expected at Tola Vologe at 9:30 for the first session of the 2013/2014 season. Of course, many elements of Remi Garde’s squad were absent. Vercoutre will be recovering for several months after a double knee surgery, a second intervention having been necessary following an infection after the first one. Lacazette, Grenier, Gourcuff, Ghezzal, Gomis, Bisevac and Ferri saw international duties belate their holiday start and are therefore absent until July 1. As for Kone and Yattara, they are excused until July 7. The same goes for Sarr and Umtiti, currently in the French U20 selection for the world championship and who will return following the results of their team in the tournament.
GUESS WHO WILL BE LYONNAIS THIS SEASON?
1-Expected, or certain, farewells
- Michel Bastos hasn’t been purchased by Schalke, who after a few months already had declared they wouldn’t exercise the option to buy him; but he will stay there (bar an interesting offer from another club) in the hope the German club change their mind, which is quite possible as Michel had a decent season.
- Heading Lyon’s Flop 3, Monzon didn’t impress Fluminense either during his loan to the famous Brasilian club. But, as luck seems to bathe Jean-Michel Aulas for the moment, it seems the Italian club of Catane are interested in the Argentine, who could therefore miss the return at Tola Vologe, Lyon’s training centre, to move to Italy.
- Suprising but true: Réveillère is gone. After 10 seasons in a Lyon jersey, at the age of 33 the discrete and dependable right back had reached the end of his contract and did not come to an agreement with the club to extend his contract. The offer on the table was with a revised salary, divided by 1.5 to 2 according to the club’s data. He is not yet linked by the press to any major club.
- A potential that didn’t reveal as expected (except for collecting red cards), Dejan Lovren is gone. After long stays in OL’s infirmary, alternating with generally fairly poor performances, then ill-advised public declarations about the lack of support he enjoyed from the club, he achieved the feat of frustrating OL and the Croatian press alike. So getting about the same price in these conditions than it was purchased 3 years ago (between 9 and 10 M€) is a proof of Aulas’s magic that forces admiration.
-Declared undesirable and target of numerous negative tweets by Aulas who put him on the transfer list, the best Olympique Lyonnais striker Bafe Gomis should definitely leave the Rhone this summer even if he does not really want it, rejecting the offers year after year and publicly stating he wants to stay in Lyon. But for JMA, between Licha and Bafe the choice has been made; on top of this, the most bankable of our strikers seems to attract very decent offers. Indeed, Fiorentina had a serious look at the former Saint-Etienne striker to remedy the most likely departure of their star player Stevan Jovetic. Initially very hot on Lisandro Lopez, the Firenze club now looks like recruiting the other OL striker, who, at last, seems pretty receptive to this idea, unlike the previous offers approved so far by OL. Only problem, the Italians have a priority recruit in the person of Mario Gomez, so Gomis would only be a second choice.
- Jimmy Briand : kept in the fridge since he refused the winter transfer to Monaco, except for a couple of appearances in which he did what he does best (run in straight line with or without the ball, shoot in the tribunes if he happens to have kept the ball, and run back), he basically was on the sales list since January. Not very successfully so far, so we may need a good dose of Aulas magic there.
- The exception. When he walked off the pitch towards the end of the last game of la season, in tears and applauding the Lyon public, everyone thought 1- Man, despite everything that happened this season Licha is deeply attached to the club; and 2-Well, this is clearly a farewell and he sure will wear a different jersey next year. But it seems the special treatment and consideration Licha receives from the club continues, as Aulas said it is very possible Licha will stay. Which probably means the club will solve for good the Licha-Bafé dispute for the peak spot by selling Bafé, and that Licha may sign a 1 or 2 years extension so he doesn’t have to leave now.
- So far, the strategy of Olympique Lyonnais was pretty simple as regards the homegrown rising stars Maxime Gonalons and Clément Grenier: they represent the clubs’ education system, they embody the club’s values and ethos, and we want to build a successful team around them. The midfielder and captain of Les Gones was an essential piece of the Rhone training and Jean-Michel Aulas had made it clear he had no intention to see him off. Conversely, “Max” feels deeply Lyonnais and don’t want to leave. But things seem to be getting serious with Naples, and the interest of their new coach Rafael Benitez has apparently materialised in a firm offer in excess of 15 ME. Which could change JMA’s mind, and, in turn, that of Gonalons…
- As for Clément Grenier, despite a clear inclination a few weeks ago to go elsewhere (The usual babypoachers Arsenal?), he seems to have heard his father and advisors and come to think that staying in Lyon was best for him for the time being. But as no extension has been signed yet, the topic is still open.
-The playboy (without the play, that is). After roughly two and a half catastrophic years, Gourcuff ended the season on a more encourageing note. He displayed clearly better performances, not so far from his best in a Lyon jersey, and proved he could also play on the left, alongside Grenier. Which means he may be more useful to the club (which is a reason to keep him), but probably never in proportion of his salary (which is a reason to sell him). So what will the club do? They’re undecided, and in such cases it’s the opportunities that may make the decision. And whilst there is no offer for him at the moment, Aulas said there are talks about him. So who knows?
2-The new kids on the block
-It’s done: targeted by St Etienne and scooped by OL, Valenciennes midfielder Gael DANIC has signed for two seasons for a total of € 0.8 Million transfer fee plus a maximum of € 0.2 million bonuses. European champion in 2000 with the team of France U18, Gaël Danic has since played 413 professional games, including 370 in Ligue 1 with Rennes, Guingamp, Grenoble, Troyes, Lorient and Valenciennes. Aged 31, he was the third best passer in Ligue 1 last season with 11 assists, despite being unavailable over 2 months due to a broken leg. An experienced player with a good mentality, inexpensive, a profile à la Malbranque to help channel the OL youth, that seems to be his role here.
-It’s been rumoured for two years, and even more since May when he came to Lyon, but the agreement could – finally – be complete between Lyon and Sochaux about the transfer of Sebastien Corchia. The right back, who already visited the OL facilities and discussed his future role with Remi Garde, had been waiting for the green light between the two clubs; and according to rumours, the transfer is now almost completed, and the announcement of the second recruitment after Gael Danic should be announced in the coming days…or not, as Lyon grow increasingly frustrated at the lack of responsiveness of Sochaux, having already threatened twice to cancel the deal and go for a Portuguese player instead. At this stage of the negotiations, the arrival of the 22 year old defender is said to be worth between 2.5 and 3.5 ME, with a bonus based on the use of the player and the results of the Club. His arrival would help fill quickly, just when training resumes, the departure of Anthony Réveillère.
3-Hello again
- The loan flop: Sidi Koné is back. Loaned to Caen in the winter transfer window, Sidy Koné will return to Lyon without having played a single second in Ligue 2. Said coach Patrice Garande “Kone is a serious mistake. I admit we were wrong. Not about the quality of the player, but about the man” t seems he never adapte well to Caen, to L2, and to the fact of being loaned. The Mali international was on loan in Caen to progress, but this will be a big failure for both parties.
- Guess who may be back? No, not Cris nor Boumsong eventhough they’re now both free. A bit higher up on the pitch… Yes, still on the pitch with the New York Red Bulls, Juninho sees the end of his long career inevitably come nearer . The urge to play is still present but, at 38, fatigue starts to be felt for the former Lyon glory. “After my retirement from US football, I will certainly return to Rio de Janeiro to start a new life there and experience the World Cup in Brazil,” he was told on RMC. Asked about a possible return to the Lyon training, Juninho then confirmed that even though he’s missing life in France and in the Lyon jersey, he still wondered about his ability to coach. “I still miss Lyon. I’m following Ligue 1 and OL. I sometimes miss the Lyon life. I have two children who were born there. The best moments of my career are in Lyon. But we must now turn the page. On 14 July, Lyon is playing in New York, this is an opportunity to talk a little bit with the president Jean-Michel Aulas. Coaching? It’s not easy. It is even more difficult than being a player. I have always been a natural leader but I have not yet decided to become a coach” he concluded.
THE AGENDA OF THE SUMMER
A summer wouldn’t be a summer without a couple of friendlies. Lyon arranged an unexpected series of games:
10/07 : Pogon Szczecin (Poland) – Lyon
16/07 : New York Red Bulls – Lyon
20/07 : Lyon – Jeonbuk Motors (Korea)
(to be confirmed) 24/07 : Lyon – Real Madrid
Now, the serious stuff. We may have breathed with relief when Lyon secured the third spot, as if qualifying for the CL was a formality, but that’s far from it, especially this year as France slipped down one place from UEFA rankings, so that the third of the French Championship now must pass 2 hurdles instead of 1 previously: the third round of qualifying for the Champions League, then the playoff.
Luckily, due to the club’s UEFA ranking, Lyon will be seeded for the third qualifying round, which ensures to avoid the Zenit St Petersburg, PSV Eindhoven, Metalist Kharkiv and another club that should have been Fenerbahçe.
The draw for the third qualifying round of the Champions League is still far away ( it will be on July 19) but a major change has just happened. Tuesday, UEFA announced sanctions against Turkish clubs accused of rigging matches, including the final of the Turkish Cup in 2011. Besiktas was expelled for a year of any European competition, and thus withdraws from the Europa League. For Fenerbahce, the penalty is even heavier because they will be banned from all European competitions for the next two seasons, with a possible third, depending on new reprehensible events. These decisions are subject to appeal but for now, Fenerbahçe is no longer part of the teams to play the third round. The Turkish club Bursaspor replaces them, allowing PAOK to become seeded alongside Lyon, Saint-Petersburg, PSV Eindhoven and Kharkov.
Thus, the potential opponents of Olympique Lyonnais for the third qualifying round, before the draw, are now Red Bull Salzburg (Austria), Nordsjaelland (Denmark), Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland), Zulte Waregem (Belgium) and Bursaspor (Turkey).
(… To be continued…)
