1950 Merger Founding
Les Gones – The Kids 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.
Quick Facts
- Year of merger
- 1950
- Location
- Lyon, France
- League at founding
- French Division 2
- Key outcome
- Unification of Lyon's top football entities
Lore & Background
The club was founded on 23 May 1950 during a meeting of around twenty people at Café Neuf in Place Bellecour. The name Olympique Lyonnais and the colours red and blue were decided at that meeting. The club played its first official match on 27 August 1950, defeating CA Paris-Charenton 3–0.
Reader's Guide
The club currently competes in Ligue 1. They play their home matches at the 59,186-capacity Parc Olympique Lyonnais, commercially known as the Groupama Stadium, in Décines-Charpieu. The club's home colours are white, red and blue. Lyon was a member of the G14 group and a founder member of the European Club Association.
Did You Know?
- Lyon won its first Ligue 1 championship in 2002, beginning a national record-setting streak of seven successive titles.
- The club has won eight Trophées des Champions, five Coupes de France, and three Ligue 2 titles.
- Lyon reached the UEFA Champions League semi-finals in the 2009–10 and 2019–20 seasons.
- The club's nickname, Les Gones, translates to 'The Kids' in Lyon's regional dialect of Franco-Provençal.
- Lyon was owned by Jean-Michel Aulas from June 1987 until it was purchased by John Textor in December 2022.
More in Club History & Eras
Elsewhere in Olympique Lyonnais
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