Lyon Lyon
Les Gones of Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais (; ), commonly referred to as simply Lyon () or OL, is a men's French professional football club based in Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France. With origins dating back to 1899, they were 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 white, red and blue. Lyon was a member of the G14 group of leading European football clubs and are founder members of its successor, the European Club Association.
Quick Facts
- Club
- Lyon
- Full name
- Olympique Lyonnais
- Nickname
- Les Gones (The Kids)
- Short name
- Lyon; OL
- Founded
- 26 May 1950
- Stadium
- Parc Olympique Lyonnais
- Capacity
- 59,186
- Owner
- Olympe Bidco (87,8%)
Lore & Background
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. 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.
Reader's Guide
The club was formed on 23 May 1950 in Café Neuf on Place Bellecour. Its first official match was on 27 August 1950, a 3–0 win over CA Paris-Charenton. Lyon won promotion to Division 1 in the 1950–51 season. The club won its first Coupe de France in 1963–64 under Lucien Jasseron, and added two more in 1966–67 and 1972–73. Under Jean-Michel Aulas (president from 1987 to 2023), Lyon won its first Ligue 1 title in 2002 and seven consecutive titles thereafter. The club also won its fourth Coupe de France in 2008 and its fifth in 2012. In the 2019–20 season, Lyon reached the Champions League semi-finals, losing to Bayern Munich. In December 2022, John Textor's Eagle Group acquired a 77.49% stake in the club. Fabio Grosso was appointed head coach in September 2023 but was sacked in November 2023; academy coach Pierre Sage was named interim coach.
Did You Know?
- Lyon's first goal in club history was scored within the first forty seconds of its first official match.
- The club's colours of red and blue were decided at the founding meeting on 23 May 1950.
More in Stadium & Culture
Elsewhere in Olympique Lyonnais
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced