Olympique Lyonnais
Template:Short description Template:About Template:Redirect Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox football club Template:Sidebar Template:Sidebar Olympique Lyonnais (Template:Langx; Template:IPA), commonly referred to as simply Lyon (Template:IPA) 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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 colors 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.
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The club's nickname, Les Gones, translates to "The Kids" in Lyon's regional dialect of Franco-Provençal.<ref name="OLnickname" /> They have a long-standing rivalry with nearby team Saint-Étienne, against whom they contest the Le Derby. French businessman Jean-Michel Aulas purchased Lyon in June 1987 until it was purchased by American businessman John Textor in December 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Michele Kang was eventually announced president of the club in June 2025 following Textor's resignation from his leadership position due to the poor financial state of Lyon.
History
Template:Main Origin (1899–1950)
In 1899, a football club named Olympique de Lyon was formed within the multi-sport club, Lyon Olympique Universitaire, originally formed in 1896 as Racing Club de Lyon. During the early years of the club, the football section was often overshadowed by then-local rivals, FC Lyon. Following numerous internal disagreements regarding the cohabitation of amateurs and professionals within the club, then-manager of the club Félix Louot and his entourage contemplated forming their own club.
Following months of meetings, Louot's plans came to fruition when a final meeting of around twenty people took place on 23 May 1950 in Café Neuf in the city's main square, Place Bellecour. During this meeting, the name Olympique Lyonnais was decided for the new club, as well as the club's colours of red and blue. Among the twenty people were Albert Trillat, credited with the club's name and colours, as well as Armand Groslevin, who would become the club's first president.<ref name="OL.fr">Template:Cite web</ref> Days later on 26 May, Lyon-based newspaper, Le Progrès reported that the club had officially been formed.<ref name="OL.fr"/>
Early success (1950–1987)
On 27 August 1950, the club played its first official match under manager Oscar Heisserer, defeating CA Paris-Charenton 3–0 in front of 3,000 supporters, with Lyon's first goal being scored within the first forty seconds of the match.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The majority of the players in Lyon's squad had previously played for Lyon Olympique Universitaire.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In just the club's second year of existence, Lyon were crowned champions of Division 2 during the 1950–51 season, securing promotion to Division 1 for the 1951–52 season. The club maintained its place in Division 1 for the remainder of the decade, excluding a year's stint in Division 2 for the 1953–54 season.
Lyon achieved moderate success during the 1960s and 1970s with the likes of Fleury Di Nallo, Néstor Combin, Serge Chiesa, Bernard Lacombe and Jean Djorkaeff playing major roles. Under manager Lucien Jasseron, Lyon won its first-ever Coupe de France title defeating Bordeaux 2–0 during the 1963–64 season. The club also performed respectably in the league under Jasseron's reign until the 1965–66 season, when Lyon finished 16th, which ultimately led to Jasseron's departure. His replacement was Louis Hon, who helped Lyon win their second Coupe de France title after defeating Sochaux 3–1 during the 1966–67 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Lyon was managed by former Lyon legend Aimé Mignot heading into the 1970s. Under Mignot's helm, Lyon won its third Coupe de France title during the 1972–73 season, beating Nantes 2–1.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Jean-Michel Aulas' presidency (1987–2023)
In June 1987, Lyon was bought by local Rhône-based businessman, Jean-Michel Aulas who took control of the club aiming to turn Lyon into an established Division 1 side. His ambitious plan, titled OL – Europe, was designed to develop the club at a European level and back into the first division within a period of no more than four years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The first manager under the new hierarchy was Raymond Domenech. The aspiring chairman gave Domenech carte blanche to recruit whoever he saw fit to help the team reach the first division. They went on to accomplish this in Domenech's first season in charge, qualifying for the UEFA Cup. For the remainder of his tenure, however, the club underachieved. Domenech was replaced by former French international Jean Tigana, who led the team to an impressive second place in the 1994–95 season.
At the start of the new millennium, Lyon began to achieve greater success in French football. The club established itself as the premiere club in France, becoming France's richest club. Lyon also became known for developing promising talent who went on to achieve greatness not only in France, but also abroad and internationally. Notable examples include Michael Essien, Florent Malouda, Sidney Govou, Juninho, Cris, Eric Abidal, Mahamadou Diarra, Patrick Müller and Karim Benzema.
Lyon won its first ever Ligue 1 title in 2002, starting a national record-breaking streak of seven successive titles. During that run, the club also won its fourth Coupe de France title in a 1–0 win over Paris Saint-Germain, its first Coupe de la Ligue title and six Trophée des Champions. The club also performed well in UEFA competitions, reaching as far as the quarter-finals on three occasions and the semi-finals in 2010 in the UEFA Champions League. Lyon's streak and consistent dominance of French football came to an end during the 2008–09 season, when it lost the title to Bordeaux. Several years later, during the 2011–12 season, Lyon won their fifth and most recent Coupe de France trophy in a 1–0 victory against Quevilly.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Lyon began investment in sports outside of football, operating an esports team in China,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and in 2019 purchased a minority stake in the local ASVEL basketball club, specifically purchasing a 25% interest in ASVEL's men's side and a 10% interest in the women's side.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The club later announced in December of the same year that it would buy an 89.5% stake in the U.S. National Women's Soccer League team known at the time as Reign FC. The purchase closed in January 2020 following approval of the NWSL board.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref> Several weeks later, the rebranding of Reign FC as OL Reign was announced.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
In the 2019–20 season, Lyon suffered a poor start to the season, and ended the season in seventh place, as the league was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. Lyon also reached the final of the Coupe de la Ligue, however, they eventually lost to Paris Saint-Germain 6–5 on penalties.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ultimately, this meant that Lyon failed to qualify for European competition for the first time in 24 years. In the Champions League, Lyon were more successful, defeating Juventus in the round of 16 and Manchester City in the quarter-final to reach the semi-finals for the first time in 10 years.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, they eventually lost 3–0 in the semi-final to Bayern Munich, eliminating Lyon from the competition.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Two seasons later, Lyon competed in the 2021–22 Europa League season, eventually being knocked out of the competition in the quarter-finals by West Ham 4–1 on aggregate.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On 8 May 2023, after 36 years of presidency, Aulas announced he would be stepping down as president of Olympique Lyonnais, having sold the club to American businessman John Textor in December 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
John Textor's presidency (2023–2025)
In December 2022, following months of delays and negotiation, Textor's Eagle Group became majority stakeholders of Lyon, acquiring a 77.49% stake<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> in the club at a valuation of €900 million including debt.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the time of purchase, Textor also owned 100% of both Brazilian club Botafogo and Belgian club RWD Molenbeek, as well as a 45% stake in English club Crystal Palace.<ref name="Get French Football News">Template:Cite web</ref>
On 16 September 2023, Italian coach Fabio Grosso, who is also a former player of the club, was appointed head of the first team.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Eventually, with the club last in the Ligue 1 table, the team's management announced at the end of November 2023 that Grosso had been sacked after being in charge for just seven games.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Academy coach Pierre Sage was named as the team's interim coach who led the team to finish in sixth place, qualifying Lyon to compete in the 2024–25 Europa League season having spent the two previous seasons out of European tournaments.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In July 2024, Sage's interim status was removed and he was named the new permanent coach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 27 January 2025, Sage was sacked as Lyon manager and replaced by Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca days later on 31 January.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Fonseca eventually led Lyon to a 6th place finish, qualifying Lyon to play in the 2025–26 Europa League season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
During this period, the club sold its women's team, OL Lyonnes, known at the time as Olympique Lyonnais Féminin as well as the LDLC Arena, a multipurpose arena near Lyon's stadium.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On 24 June 2025, Lyon were administratively relegated to Ligue 2 by the DNCG due to the poor state of the club's finances.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Michele Kang's presidency (2025–present)
On 30 June 2025, it was announced that OL Lyonnes president and shareholder in Eagle Football Group, Michele Kang, had been appointed as Chairwoman and CEO of Eagle Football Group and President of Olympique Lyonnais, with Michael Gerlinger also being appointed Director General after John Textor resigned from his leadership positions.<ref name="30june25">Template:Cite web</ref> Just over two weeks later, on 9 July 2025, the decision to relegate Lyon due to financial problems was reversed due to actions made by the club, allowing Lyon to compete in both Ligue 1 and the Europa League for the 2025–26 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ownership and finances
Olympique Lyonnais was owned by Rhône businessman Jean-Michel Aulas, who acquired the club on 15 June 1987. He serves as the founder and chief operating officer of CEGID (Compagnie Européenne de Gestion par l'Informatique Décentralisée). After ridding the club of its debt, Aulas restructured the club's management and reorganised the finances and, in a span of two decades, transformed the club from a second division team into one of the richest football clubs in the world. However, Aulas has been lambasted by critics for running the club as if it were a business. During this period, the club's holding company operated on the European Stock Exchange under the name OL Groupe, initialled OLG.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Aulas currently serves on the board for the European Club Association, a sports organisation representing football clubs in Europe. He was also the last president of the now-defunct G-14 organisation.
In April 2008, business magazine Forbes ranked Lyon as the thirteenth most valuable football team in the world. The magazine valued the club at $408 million (€275.6M), excluding debt.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In February 2009, Lyon were rated in the 12th spot in the Deloitte Football Money League, reportedly bringing in an annual revenue of €155.7 million for the 2007–08 season, which ranks among the world's best football clubs in terms of revenue.<ref name="FourFourTwo">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2016, a Chinese private equity fund acquired 20% stake in Olympique Lyonnais Group for €100 million. The fund was managed by IDG Capital Partners.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In December 2022, American businessman John Textor completed the purchase of the club, owning 77.49% of the club's shares and thus becomes the new owner of the club. Under this arrangement, the club suggested that Aulas would continue to serve as president for at least three more seasons.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, on 8 May 2023, it was announced that Textor had replaced Aulas to become the chairman and CEO of OL Groupe, thus making him the new president of Olympique Lyonnais, ending Aulas' 36 years rule, during which more than 50 major titles have been won for both men's and women's teams.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Jean-Michel Aulas was appointed honorary chairman, and L'Équipe reported that Aulas would be compensated €10 million for his exit and retain a 9% stake in the club.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On 13 July 2023, Frenchman Santiago Cucci was named to become the new interim executive president of OL Groupe, but later resigned in November. He was replaced by Laurent Prud'homme, who remained in the position until May 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Following Lyon's administrative relegation to Ligue 2 in June 2025 by the DNCG, John Textor resigned due to pressure from the club's shareholders. American businesswoman Michele Kang, one of the club's shareholders and the owner of Lyon women's team was appointed as the new president.<ref name="30june25"/> In Lyon's appeal hearing with the DNCG in 9 July, represented by Michele Kang and the club's new general director Michael Gerlinger, the club successfully won the appeal, and the DNCG confirmed that Lyon would remain in Ligue 1.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
| Club management | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| President | Tenure |
|---|---|
| Template:Flagicon Armand Groslevin | 1950-1960 |
| Template:Flagicon Ferdinand Maillet | 1960-1965 |
| Template:Flagicon Édouard Rochet | 1965-1977 |
| Template:Flagicon Roger Michaux | 1977-1981 |
| Template:Flagicon Jean Perrot | 1981-1982 |
| Template:Flagicon Raymond Ravet | 1982-1983 |
| Template:Flagicon Charles Mighirian | 1983-1987 |
| Template:Flagicon Jean-Michel Aulas | 1987-2023 |
| Template:Flagicon John Textor | 2023-2025 |
| Template:Flagicon Michele Kang | 2025-present |
Stadium
Stade de Gerland (1950–2015)
Olympique Lyonnais played at the Stade de Gerland between 1950 and 2015. In 1910, the then-mayor of Lyon, Édouard Herriot, wanted to develop and build a sports stadium with both an athletics track and a velodrome in the city.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1912, the stadium was officially mandated and local architect Tony Garnier was given the reins in designing and constructing it. Construction began in 1914 with the hope that the stadium would be completed before the International Exhibition of 1914. Construction was halted due to the First World War, but construction was eventually completed in 1919. By 1920, the stadium was completely functional.
In 1926, the Stade de Gerland, with a capacity of 35,000, was inaugurated by Herriot.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1967, the stadium was listed as a Monument historique.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As well as hosting Lyon's home games, the stadium hosted matches for the Euro 1984, 1998 World Cup and the 2003 Confederations Cup.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The stadium's cycling track was eventually removed to increase the seating capacity to around 50,000. In September 1980, the stadium would see its record attendance of 48,552 during a derby game between Lyon and Saint-Étienne.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1984, minor renovations were made to the stadium by architect René Gagis.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This included construction of the Jean Bouin and Jean Jaurès stands. Further renovations were needed to prepare the stadium for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, as by that time FIFA had mandated that all stadiums used for international matches had to be all-seater. These renovations, planned by architect Albert Constantin, included the Jean Jaurès and Jean Bouin stands being demolished and rebuilt as well as removing the remaining athletics track. This new incarnation of the stadium had a maximum capacity of 40,494.
On 5 December 2015, Lyon played their final game in the Stade de Gerland in a 2–0 defeat against Angers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The stadium is now the home of Lyon OU Rugby and currently holds a capacity of 35,000 spectators.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Parc Olympique Lyonnais (2016–present)
On 1 September 2008, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas announced plans to create a new 60,000-seater stadium, tentatively called OL Land, to be built on 50 hectares of land located in Décines-Charpieu, a suburb of Lyon. Over a month later, on 13 October 2008, the project was agreed upon by the State, the General Council of Rhône, the Grand Lyon, SYTRAL and the municipality of Décines-Charpieu for construction with approximately €180 million of public money being used, with between €60–80 million coming from the Urban Community of Lyon.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After the announcement, however, the club's efforts to get the stadium off the ground were hindered mainly due to slow administrative procedures, political interests and various opposition groups, who viewed the stadium as financially, ecologically and socially wrong for the taxpayers and community of Décines-Charpieu. The official name of the stadium was provisionally to be Le Stade des Lumières.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On 22 September 2009, French newspaper L'Équipe reported that OL Land had been selected by the French Football Federation (FFF) as one of the 12 stadiums to be used in the country's bidding for UEFA Euro 2016.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The FFF officially made their selections on 11 November 2009 and the city of Lyon was selected as a site to host matches during the tournament.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On 9 January 2016, Lyon played their first game in the Parc Olympique Lyonnais in a 4–1 victory over Troyes, with goals from Lacazette, Ghezzal, Ferri and Beauvue.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Since 2017, Lyon has had a sponsorship partnership with French insurance company Groupama. As a result, the Parc Olympique Lyonnais is currently known as the Groupama Stadium, with the club having renewed the partnership in 2020, 2022 and 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As of 2025, the partnership is estimated to be worth €6.9 million a year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Training centre
The Centre Tola Vologe was the training centre and club headquarters of Olympique Lyonnais before the move to their new stadium in 2016. It is located in the city of Lyon, not far from the Stade de Gerland. The facility is named after Anatole Vologe, commonly called Tola Vologe, who was a Lyon sportsman and was murdered by the Gestapo during World War II. The facility is known for its high-level training<ref>Lyon : Tola Vologe Template:Webarchive</ref> and several prominent players have passed through the youth training centre. These include Karim Benzema, Hatem Ben Arfa, Sidney Govou, Alexandre Lacazette, Samuel Umtiti and Ludovic Giuly. The centre used to host training sessions for the senior team and also served as the home facility for the club's reserve, youth (both male and female), and female sides, who both played their home matches at the Plaine des Jeux de Gerland. Jean-François Vulliez is the current director of the centre.
Both the men and women teams now train within a modern complex right by the new Groupama Stadium in Décines. The youth Academy also moved to the neighbouring town of Meyzieu.
Colours and kits
Template:Football kit box Since the club's foundation, the primary colours have been red, blue, and white, with the latter being the most predominant of the three. During the early years of the club's existence, Olympique Lyonnais primarily played in all-white uniforms. In 1955, Lyon officials decided to add a red and blue chevron and blue shorts to the combination.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1961, the chevron tradition was disbanded and the two strips of red and blue were shaped horizontally.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After six years, the club returned to the all-white uniforms, but kept intact the red and blue stripes, but, instead of keeping them horizontally, inserted them vertically and on the left side of the shirt.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Lyon began wearing the shirt during the 1970–71 season and wore the kits up until the 1975–76 season. For the 2002–03 season, chairman Jean-Michel Aulas announced that the club would return the kits. Lyon wore them, with several different modifications every year, for six of their seven consecutive titles.
In 1976, the club endured a drastic change to their kits, ditching the all-white uniforms for an all-red style, akin to English club Liverpool. The club wore the kits up until the 1989–90 season, with the 1977–78 and 1978–79 seasons being excluded due to the club adding navy blue vertical stripes to the shirt that was deemed unsuccessful.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Following the 1989–90 season, the club returned to the all-white kits and, at the start of the 1995–96 season, the club returned the vertical stripes, but opted to insert them in the center of the shirt, instead of to the left. The club kept this style until the 2001–02 season. For the 2009–10 season, Lyon returned the horizontal red and blue stripes. In the Champions League, Lyon has used a variety of different colours as first choice, including red, navy blue, light blue, black, silver and fluorescent yellow.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Supporters
Olympique Lyonnais has an active fanbase composed of many groups of supporters. One of the club's most notable supporters group is Bad Gones ("Bad Kids"). The Bad Gones were established in 1987 around the time of Jean-Michel Aulas's purchase of the team and used to occupy the Virage Nord area of the Stade de Gerland, and currently occupy the Virage Nord area of the Parc Olympique Lyonnais. During the 2007–08 season, the group celebrated its 20th anniversary. The Bad Gones is the biggest group of supporters in France and have a very strong reputation in Europe, due to the club's control of Ligue 1, as well as Lyon's continued appearances in the UEFA Champions League.
Another notable supporters group is the Cosa Nostra Lyon, who occupy the Virage Sud area of the stadium. The group was created in 2007 as a result of a merger between two groups, the Lugdunums, which had existed since 1993 and Nucleo Ultra, which formed in 2000. The merger was created to achieve a sense of stability among supporters. The group is no longer recognised by the club, but continues to operate in a functional manner. Other support groups include the Hex@gones, which was formed in 2000 and sit in the Virage Sud area, the Gastrogones, who occupy the Jean Bouin stand, and the O'Elles Club, who sit in the Jean Jaurès stand.
The club also has support groups that are based in areas outside of the city of Lyon. The Gones 58 supporters come from the department of Nièvre in Bourgogne, while Gones 26 origins come from the department of Drôme in nearby Valence. Three minor support groups in Septimagones, Loups Marchois, and Dauphigones comes from the commune of Hérépian, the department of Creuse, and the department of Isère, respectively. Outside of France, the Lyondoners are based in London and follow Lyon at home, away and internationally.
Statistics and records
Lyon's first competitive game was a 3–0 victory against CA Paris-Charenton on 26 August 1950. Since the club's foundation in 1950, they have played over 50 seasons in France's highest football division, playing over 1,800 matches. Of the nine seasons the club played in Ligue 2, they contested 310 matches. Lyon achieved their 1,000th victory during the 2003–04 season after defeating Strasbourg.
The Moroccan-born French midfielder Serge Chiesa holds Lyon overall appearance record having played in 541 matches over the course of 14 seasons from 1969 to 1983. Following him is former goalkeeper Grégory Coupet who contested 518 matches over the course of 11 seasons from 1997 to 2008. Along with Sidney Govou, Coupet also has the distinction of being the only player in Lyon's history to win all four domestic French titles having been a part of all seven Ligue 1 titles, the club's Coupe de France triumph in 2008, the only Coupe de la Ligue win in 2001, and six of the seven Trophée des Champions titles. Govou, Coupet, and Juninho share the honour of being only Lyon players who were a part of all seven title runs.
The club's all-time leading scorer is Fleury Di Nallo, who scored 222 goals while at the club from 1960 to 1974. Di Nallo is also third behind Chiesa and Coupet in all time appearances having played in 489 matches during his 14-year stint at the club. Despite Di Nallo's impressive goalscoring record, he doesn't hold the record for most goals scored during a league season. That distinction was held by Bourg-en-Bresse-born André Guy who notched 25 goals, which he attained in the 1968–69 season. Alexandre Lacazette, however, scored his 26th goal of the 2014–15 league season in an important game away to Stade de Reims when he scored in the sixth minute.
Lyon's biggest victory is 10–0, which occurred of two occasions against Ajaccio during the 1953–54 edition of the Coupe de France and, two seasons later, against Delle during the 1955–56 edition of the competition. Lyon's biggest league victory is 8–0 and also occurred on two occasions. The first being during the 1966–67 season against Angers, and the second being against Marseille during the 1997–98 season. The club's biggest victory on the European stage occurred during the 1974–75 season, where Lyon hammered Luxembourg-based club FA Red Boys Differdange 7–0.
Rivalries
Template:Main Historically, Lyon has had a healthy rivalry with Saint-Étienne, head-to-head clashes between the clubs being referred to as the Derby rhônalpin.<ref name=derby_rhone>Template:Cite news</ref> Since the club's dominance at the start of the new millennium, however, they have established rivalries with Marseille, Bordeaux, Paris Saint-Germain and Lille. Lyon also share minor rivalries with fellow Rhône-Alpes clubs Grenoble and AS Lyon Duchère.
The Saint-Étienne rivalry began during the 1960s when Lyon established their residency in the French first division. The Arpitan rivalry stems simply from the close proximity of the clubs to each other, separated by just Template:Convert, as well as historical social and cultural difference between the two cities where they are based; Lyon traditionally cited as being a financially comfortable and middle class city, while Saint-Étienne is traditionally regarded as being more industrial and working-class.<ref name=derby_rhone/> The derby also pits "the most recently successful French club" (Lyon) against "the formerly biggest French club" (Saint-Étienne) and is often seen as one of the high points of the Ligue 1 season.
Lyon's rivalry with Marseille goes back to 23 September 1945, when the clubs contested their first match. The derby, often called Choc des Olympiques ("Clash of the Olympics") or Olympico, is often cited as being particularly important as both clubs are of high standard in French football and the championship is regularly decided between the two. Marseille, Saint-Étienne, Lyon, and PSG are the only French clubs to have won the French first division four straight times, with Marseille doing this on two occasions.
Sponsors
On 7 August 2009, Lyon announced that it signed a ten-year deal with the German sportswear brand Adidas, effective at the start of the 2010–11 season with Lyon earning €5 million annually from the deal, plus possible royalty fees based on product sales.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As of the 2024–25 season, Lyon still have a deal with Adidas which will last until the end of the 2028–29 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Following the 2008–09 season, Lyon's long-term sponsorship agreement with the French multinational corporation Accor and Lyon-based Renault Trucks ended. On 22 July 2009, the Paris-based online bookmaker BetClic reached an agreement with Lyon to advertise on the club's kits. However, due to French law prohibiting online gambling, Lyon could not wear its kits displaying the logo. On 12 August 2009, just before the opening league match against Le Mans, the club was relieved of its BetClic-sponsored shirts by the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), which warned the club that it risked forfeiting points if the club wore them.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Lyon complied and, since the Le Mans match, wore sponsorless shirts while playing on French soil. Lyon were free to wear its BetClic sponsored shirts outside France; on 25 August 2009, the club unveiled the shirts in Belgium while taking on Anderlecht in the Champions League. On 15 January 2010, Lyon secured a sponsorship agreement with Japanese video game company Sony Computer Entertainment to display the company's PlayStation logo on their shirts. The deal lasted until the end of the 2009–10 season. In 2010, the French ban on online gambling advertising was lifted and Lyon began wearing its BetClic-sponsored shirts on French soil. In August 2012, the club agreed a two-year sponsorship deal with Korean car manufacturers Hyundai that would start in 2012–13 season, replacing BetClic as the main sponsor in their shirts for Ligue 1 matches.
Lyon have been sponsored by Emirates since 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Media
On 27 July 2005, the club launched the 24/7 network OLTV, which is completely devoted to club programming and events, along with reserve and women's team matches. OLTV was renamed to OL Play in 2021.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors
| Period | Kit manufacturer |
|---|---|
| 1950–1964 | In-House |
| 1964–1978 | Le Coq Sportif |
| 1978–1980 | Pony |
| 1980–1985 | Puma |
| 1985–1991 | Duarig |
| 1991–1995 | Nike |
| 1995–2002 | Adidas |
| 2002–2010 | Umbro |
| 2010–Present | Adidas |
| Period | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|
| 1968–1969 | Vittel |
| 1972–1973 | Chemise Club/ Perrier |
| 1973–1973 | Mister West/ Perrier |
| 1974–1975 | Carrefour |
| 1975–1976 | Jelmoli/ RTL/ Perrier |
| 1976–1977 | Banga |
| 1977–1980 | RTL |
| 1980–1986 | Carrefour |
| 1986–1987 | Carrefour/ Europe 1 |
| 1987–1988 | Europe 1/ Giraudy Affichage |
| 1988–1989 | Noirclerc/ Le69 |
| 1989–1990 | Faure/ Le69 |
| 1990–1991 | Candia |
| 1991–1992 | Zenith Data Systems/ Canal+/ Candia |
| 1992–1993 | Zenith Data Systems/ Canal+ |
| 1993–1995 | Justin Bridou/ Sodexho |
| 1995–1996 | Justin Bridou/ Aoste |
| 1996–1997 | Sodexho |
| 1997–1999 | Vediorbis |
| 1999–2000 | Pathé |
| 2000–2001 | Pathé/ Infogrames |
| 2001–2002 | Renault/ Continental/ Atari |
| 2002–2004 | Renault Trucks/ Continental |
| 2004–2006 | Renault Trucks/ LG |
| 2006–2009 | Novotel/ Ticket Restaurant |
| 2009–2010 | Playstation 3/ Kool Shen/ BetClic |
| 2010–2011 | BetClic/ Everest Poker |
| 2011–2012 | Everest Poker/ Veolia |
| 2012–2020 | Hyundai/ Veolia |
| 2020–Present | Emirates |
UEFA club coefficient ranking
Lyon's highest UEFA club ranking was 8th place during the 2007–08 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
As of 13 August 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | Template:Flagicon Bodø/Glimt | 47.000 |
| 41 | Template:Flagicon Olympiacos | 46.500 |
| 42 | Template:Flagicon Olympique Lyonnais | 43.750 |
| 42 | Template:Flagicon F.C. København | 42.375 |
| 43 | Template:Flagicon Olympique de Marseille | 42.000 |
Players
Current squad
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Out on loan
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Reserve squad
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Former players
For a complete list of former Olympique Lyonnais players with a Wikipedia article, see here.
Numbers of honour
Template:Main 16 – Template:Flagicon retired in 1999 in recognition of goalkeeper Luc Borrelli. Borrelli was killed in a road accident in February of that year. In 2011, the number was brought out of retirement and given to back-up goalkeeper Anthony Lopes and as since been reissued again.
17 – Template:Flagicon retired in 2003 in recognition of midfielder Marc-Vivien Foé. Foé died while playing for Cameroon in the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup at the Stade de Gerland, Lyon. The number was brought out of retirement in 2008 to allow Cameroonian player Jean Makoun to wear it. Following Makoun's departure, the number went without use for a year. In 2011, it was given to Alexandre Lacazette and as since been reissued again.
Award winners
- UNFP Player of the Year
The following players have won the UNFP Player of the Year while playing for Lyon:
- Template:Flagicon Michael Essien – 2005
- Template:Flagicon Juninho – 2006
- Template:Flagicon Florent Malouda – 2007
- Template:Flagicon Karim Benzema – 2008
- Template:Flagicon Lisandro López – 2010
- Template:Flagicon Alexandre Lacazette – 2015
- UNFP Young Player of the Year
The following players have won the UNFP Young Player of the Year while playing for Lyon:
- Template:Flagicon Florian Maurice – 1995
- Template:Flagicon Sidney Govou – 2001
- Template:Flagicon Hatem Ben Arfa – 2008
- Template:Flagicon Nabil Fekir – 2015
- UNFP Goalkeeper of the Year
The following player have won the UNFP Goalkeeper of the Year while playing for Lyon:
- Template:Flagicon Grégory Coupet – 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
- Template:Flagicon Hugo Lloris – 2009, 2010, 2012
- Bravo Award
The following players have won the Bravo Award while playing for Lyon:
- Template:Flagicon Karim Benzema – 2008
Coaches
Olympique Lyonnais has had 22 permanent coaches and two caretaker coaches since the club's first appointed Oscar Heisserer as a professional coach in 1950. Heisserer also served as the first player-coach of the club, coming out of retirement to play during his final season at the club. The longest-serving coach in terms of time was Aimé Mignot, who coached Lyon for eight years from 1968 to 1976. Alain Perrin, who coached the club from 2007 to 2008, was the first Lyon coach to achieve the double.
Current coaching staff
- As of 31 January 2025<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Template:Flagicon Paulo Fonseca |
| Assistant head coach | Template:Flagicon Damien Della Santa Template:Flagicon Paulo Ferreira Template:Flagicon Jorge Maciel |
| Goalkeeping coach | Template:Flagicon António Ferreira |
| Fitness coaches | Template:Flagicon Cédric Uras Template:Flagicon Alexandre Farhi Template:Flagicon Paulo Mourão |
| Video analysts | Template:Flagicon Anthony Michel Template:Flagicon Yannick Pothier Template:Flagicon Geoffrey Garcia Template:Flagicon Nelson Duarte |
| Data analysts | Template:Flagicon Benjamin Charier |
| Head of Medical | Template:Flagicon Franck Pelissier |
| Doctors | Template:Flagicon Jean-Marc Laborderie Template:Flagicon Yann Fournier |
| Physiotherapists | Template:Flagicon Sylvain Rousseau Template:Flagicon Abdeljellil Redissi Template:Flagicon Jérémy Jacquemot Template:Flagicon Johann Howse |
| Nutritionist | Template:Flagicon Isabelle Mischler |
| Reserves coach | Template:Flagicon Gueïda Fofana |
| Team managers | Template:Flagicon Julien Sokol Template:Flagicon Guy Genet |
| Kit manager | Template:Flagicon Jérôme Renaud |
| Assistant kit managers | Template:Flagicon Lotfi Eladjabi Template:Flagicon François Lopez |
Honours
Template:See also Template:For
Lyon has won Ligue 1 seven times, which ranks sixth in French football history. Lyon has the distinction of starting a national record-breaking streak of seven successive titles beginning with the 2001–02 season. The club has also been crowned champions of Ligue 2 three times, won five Coupe de France titles, one Coupe de la Ligue title and eight Trophée des Champions. Though the club is a regular participant in the UEFA Champions League, they have only reached as far as the semi-finals, which was accomplished during the 2009–10 and 2019–20 seasons. Lyon has won the UEFA Intertoto Cup, achieving this honour in 1997.
Domestic
League
Cups
International competitions
- UEFA Intertoto Cup
- Winners (1): 1997
Olympique Lyonnais women
Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, renamed in 2025 as OL Lyonnes,<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> currently play in France's top division, Division 1 Féminine. The ladies team was set up in the 1970s as part of FC Lyon, but was attached to OL in the summer of 2004. They mostly play their home games at Groupama OL Training Center, 200 metres from Parc Olympique Lyonnais, the main stadium. From 2025, they share the main stadium as their home ground.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref>
Honours
Template:ForLyon women's team are described as the most successful club in women's football in the world,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> having won 18 French league (Première Ligue) titles, 10 French cups (Coupe de France Féminine) and 8 European (UEFA Women's Champions League) titles.
References
External links
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