OL Lyonnes
French women's football club with record eight Champions League titles.
Vector image on the OL Lyonnes page of Olympique Lyonnais' website. · via Wikipedia: OL Lyonnes · Fair use
OL Lyonnes is a French professional women’s football club based in Lyon. Formerly called Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, it is still commonly referred to as Lyon or simply OL. The club has been the women’s section of Olympique Lyonnais since 2004. It holds the record for the most titles in the Première Ligue, with eighteen league championships won as Olympique Lyonnais and four more won as FC Lyon before the takeover.
Since the 2010s, Lyon has regularly been ranked among the strongest women’s teams globally and has been held up as a model for women’s football development, both economically and culturally. The team has won a record eight UEFA Women’s Champions League titles, including an unprecedented five in a row from 2016 to 2020. Domestically, they won fourteen consecutive league titles between 2007 and 2020. They have also completed five trebles—winning the top continental competition alongside their domestic league and cup—the most of any team.
The club was founded in 1970 as the women’s section of FC Lyon. In 2004, it became the women’s section of Olympique Lyonnais. Since joining Lyon, the women’s side has won the Division 1 Féminine fourteen times and the Coupe de France nine times. They reached the semi-finals of the 2007–08 UEFA Women’s Cup and, in the 2009–10 season, made the final of the first UEFA Women’s Champions League, losing to Turbine Potsdam on penalties. The following season, they won the Champions League by beating Potsdam 2–0 in the final, and successfully defended the title in 2012 against FFC Frankfurt.
From 2016 to 2020, Lyon won five straight Champions League titles, matching the men’s record held by Real Madrid. Four players—Sarah Bouhaddi, Amel Majri, Wendie Renard, and Eugénie Le Sommer—have each won eight Champions League trophies, a feat recognized by Guinness World Records as the most Women’s Champions League wins by a player.
Lyon’s main rivalry is with Paris Saint-Germain; their matches are sometimes called the “Classique féminin.” PSG has been Lyon’s primary challenger for domestic titles, finishing second in D1 Féminine seven times. Lyon never lost the league title to PSG until 2021, when Paris finished ahead. Lyon has beaten PSG in five Coupe de France finals. In 2017, both teams met in the Champions League final, with Lyon winning on penalties to claim their fourth title.
Quick Facts
- Fullname
- fr · Olympique Lyonnais Lyonnes
- Nickname
- Les Fenottes · Les Lyonnaises
- Founded
- 1970 (as FC Lyon) / · 2004 (as Olympique Lyonnais)
- Stadium
- Parc Olympique Lyonnais · Décines-Charpieu
- Capacity
- 59,186
- Owner
- Olympe Bidco
- Chrtitle
- President
- Chairman
- Michele Kang
- Mgrtitle
- Head coach
- Manager
- Jonatan Giráldez
- League
- Première Ligue
- Season
- 2025–26
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The club was formed as the women's section of FC Lyon in 1970. Since joining Lyon, the women's section has won the Division 1 Féminine fourteen times and the Coupe de France nine times. Lyon reached the semi-finals of the 2007–08 UEFA Women's Cup and, during the 2009–10 season, reached the final of the inaugural UEFA Women's Champions League, losing to German club Turbine Potsdam 7–6 on penalties. In the following season, Lyon captured the UEFA Women's Champions League, defeating Turbine Potsdam 2–0 in the 2011 final, and successfully defended its title in 2012 against FFC Frankfurt. From 2016 to 2020, the club won five consecutive Champions League titles, equaling the male record held by Real Madrid. Four players—Sarah Bouhaddi, Amel Majri, Wendie Renard, and Eugénie Le Sommer—have each won eight Champions League trophies, listed by Guinness World Records as the 'Most Women's Champions League wins by a player'. Lyon's main rivalry is with Paris Saint-Germain, with matches sometimes referred to as the 'Classique féminin'. Lyon had never lost the D1 title to PSG until 2021 when PSG finished ahead of Lyon. In 2017 both teams reached the Champions League final, with Lyon beating Paris after a penalty shoot-out. Lyon hosts its matches at the Stade Gérard Houllier, a stadium of capacity 1,524 located in the Groupama OL Training Center. The women's team also hosts 'big' matches such as UEFA Women's Champions League at the 59,000-seat Parc Olympique Lyonnais. Wendie Renard, often identified as the 'tallest [woman] footballer', has been a long-term captain of the team. According to the UEFA women's coefficient, Lyon was the highest-ranked club in UEFA in 2014, and second in 2025, behind FC Barcelona Femení. In 2024, Michele Kang took over the club. On 19 May 2025, Kang announced the new name 'OL Lyonnes', a portmanteau of the city and lionnes (French for 'lionesses'), dropping 'féminin' to designate the club as a separate management. A new logo was introduced showing the head of a roaring red lioness with blue and gold accents and a crest above it. The club adopted a new slogan: Nouvelle Histoire, Même Légende ('New Story, Same Legend'). On 1 June 2025, the club announced the departure of head coach Joe Montemurro after one year; the following day, Jonatan Giráldez was appointed as head coach on a contract until June 2028.
Reader's Guide
OL Lyonnes stands as the most decorated club in French women's football history and one of the most dominant in European women's football. Its record of eight UEFA Women's Champions League titles, including five consecutive from 2016 to 2020, and fourteen consecutive domestic league titles from 2007 to 2020, established a period of unprecedented success. The club's sustained excellence has been attributed to its integration within the Olympique Lyonnais structure, consistent investment, and a pipeline of world-class players such as Wendie Renard, Eugénie Le Sommer, Sarah Bouhaddi, and Amel Majri, each of whom won eight Champions League trophies. Lyon's rivalry with Paris Saint-Germain has defined the domestic landscape, with PSG finally breaking Lyon's league title streak in 2021. The club's significance extends beyond trophies: it has been cited as a model for the economic and cultural development of women's football. The 2024 takeover by Michele Kang marked a new chapter, including a rebranding to OL Lyonnes, a new logo and slogan, and plans to use Parc Olympique Lyonnais as the permanent home ground from the 2025–26 season. The club's legacy is one of sustained dominance, record-setting achievements, and a pivotal role in the professionalization of women's football in France and Europe.
Did You Know?
- The club was renamed OL Lyonnes on 19 May 2025, a portmanteau of Lyon and 'lionnes' (lionesses), dropping 'féminin' from the name.
- Wendie Renard, the team's long-term captain, is often identified as the tallest woman footballer.
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