Les Gones
Les Gones – The Kids of Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais (French: Olympique lyonnais; French pronunciation: [ɔlɛ̃pik ljɔnɛ]), commonly referred to as simply Lyon (French pronunciation: [ljɔ̃]) or OL, is a men's French professional football club based in Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France. The club traces its roots to 1899 as Lyon Olympique Universitaire, but the modern Olympique Lyonnais was founded in 1950. The club currently competes in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. They play their home matches at the 59,186-capacity Parc Olympique Lyonnais, commercially known as the Groupama Stadium, in Décines-Charpieu, a suburb in the Metropolis of Lyon. The club's home colours are predominantly white with red and blue trim.
Lore & Background
The club's nickname, Les Gones, translates to 'The Kids' in Lyon's regional dialect of Franco-Provençal. They have a long-standing rivalry with nearby team Saint-Étienne, against whom they contest Le Derby. Lyon was owned by French businessman Jean-Michel Aulas from June 1987 until it was purchased by American businessman John Textor in December 2022. As of the latest available information, the club's president is Santiago Cucci (as of 2024).
Reader's Guide
The club won its first Ligue 1 championship in 2002, beginning a national record-setting streak of seven successive titles. Lyon has also won eight Trophées des Champions, five Coupes de France, and three Ligue 2 titles. On a European level, the team has participated in the UEFA Champions League seventeen times, reaching the semi-final of the competition during the 2009–10 season and the 2019–20 season, and have made it to the quarterfinals in three other occasions. They have also qualified for the Europa League numerous times, making it as far as the semi-final during the 2016–17 season.
Did You Know?
- Lyon was a member of the G14 group of leading European football clubs and are founder members of its successor, the European Club Association.
- The club's first match on 27 August 1950 was a friendly, not an official competitive match; they defeated CA Paris 3–0 with the first goal scored by Marcel Leborgne in the 3rd minute.
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