Lyon Lyon

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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.

In Their Own Story

In June 1987, Lyon was bought by local businessman Jean-Michel Aulas, who took control aiming to turn Lyon into an established Division 1 side. His plan, titled OL – Europe, was designed to develop the club at a European level within four years. The first manager under the new hierarchy was Raymond Domenech, who qualified the team for the UEFA Cup in his first season. At the start of the new millennium, Lyon established itself as France's richest club and became known for developing talent like Michael Essien, Florent Malouda, Juninho, Cris, Eric Abidal, and Karim Benzema. On 8 May 2023, after 36 years of presidency, Aulas stepped down, having sold the club to American businessman John Textor in December 2022. In December 2022, Textor's Eagle Group acquired a 77.49% stake in the club at a valuation of €900 million including debt. On 24 June 2025, Lyon were administratively relegated to Ligue 2 by the DNCG due to the poor state of the club's finances. On 30 June 2025, Michele Kang was announced president of the club.

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.
• Lyon's seven consecutive Ligue 1 titles from 2002 to 2008 is a national record.
• The club's nickname Les Gones means 'The Kids' in the local Franco-Provençal dialect.