Why No One Wants to Come to Lyon

By: Inara | May 11th, 2007

Most football fans live in a constant state of delusion when it comes to their team. It’s why many clubs still have fans despite constant under performance.

I love my delusions as much as anybody else, but it’s time for some honesty.

euros And the truth is, despite having quite a bit of money to spend…Lyon doesn’t attract quality players from abroad. I’m not even talking about the Ronaldinho and Henry types. I’m talking about the second tier “stars” like Alberto Gilardino, Louis Saha, and Nani.

I understand that Lyon can’t compete with Real, Barca, Milan. Fine. I can take that.

But what’s sad is when players prefer the likes of Sevilla, Atletico, Tottenham, Roma, etc., over Lyon.

And when these players are linked with the club, they deny any contact within 24 hours, as if they’re too embarrassed to be associated with Juninho & Co.

WHY???

Last time I checked, Lyon was in Ligue 1, one of the top five European leagues, not in the Juliper league, or God forbid, the MLS. So why do people treat Lyon as a step down?

Let’s take a look at the club’s past signings.

Not counting transfers from Brazilian and smaller French teams, only a few members of Lyon’s squad come from foreign championships. Sylvain Wiltord (Arsenal), Tiago (Chelsea), and Milan Baros (Aston Villa) were EPL rejects who had no place to go. They are all quality fringe players who had to leave for various reasons. It’s not like Lyon was their first choice.

And this summer won’t be any different. Despite all the names Lyon have been linked with in recent weeks, their most likely foreign transfer target is Roy Makaay, the 32 year old Bayern Munich striker who is in the outs with his club – another reject. A class player, but an unwanted one.

When was the last time a player from a top club wanted to come to Lyon? The only one I can think of is Mauro Camoranesi, who didn’t want to be in Serie B last summer with Juventus and was desperate to play in the Champions League. But that’s it.

Are there any players out there whose dream it is to play for Lyon – and not just as a stepping stone to Real Madrid? I don’t mean to sound cynical, but I imagine the number is quite low. Remember last summer when Franck Ribery threw a hissy fit about how it was his dream to play for Lyon? A year later, and now Lyon is too small for him.

What’s even worse is that Lyon can’t hang onto their own stars. Even if they could match salaries, I doubt the players would stay since the days of good old fashioned devotion are over. I’m not Francesco Totti’s biggest fan, but even I can’t help admire the way he’s sticking with Roma despite having the biggest clubs offering him more money and yearly Champions League play.

It just wasn’t enough for Diarra.

The simple fact of the matter is that Lyon doesn’t inspire lifelong loyalty. The only person who really wanted to end his career at Lyon (Claudio Cacapa) was pushed out of the club by Gerard Houllier. And there is Sidney Govou, who has no other place to go…

Michael Essien and Mahamadou Diarra were nothings until Lyon nourished their talents, and after their ambitions outgrew their britches, they left for better pastures in an cruel manner, refusing to come to training until the club agreed to sell them. Tiago didn’t shine until he came to France, but now that he’s under the radar of Juventus, Barcelona, and Milan, he wants to leave for something better. Malouda wants to go to a bigger club. Abidal has had enough of playing in the minor leagues. Juninho doesn’t feel his ambitions are being fulfilled. Even Coupet said he wouldn’t mind leaving.

Because Lyon isn’t good enough for them anymore.

And that hurts.

What previously was known as a quiet and calm club has become very dramatic with all the players publicly mouthing their discontent at being in Lyon, as if they are being held prisoner at the Stade de Gerland.

All the players that Lyon want to keep are asking for transfers whereas the players that the club want to see leaving (I’m looking at you, Sidney) ardently wish to remain…

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Ligue 1 used to have some fabulous teams. Marseille, PSG, Bordeaux, St. Etienne were once giants. When Aulas took over Division 2 Lyon twenty years ago, French football was at its finest. No one could have foreseen that the clubs would eventually implode and vanish into mid-table mediocrity.

The clubs in Ligue 1 are still good – Lyon’s wins are never easy, even the ones against the relegation teams. But at the end of the day, no single club is consistent enough to keep up with Lyon, something more glaring when you realize that there has been a different second place finisher for the past six years.

But what is Lyon supposed to do? Should Aulas take over the management of the other 19 teams in Ligue 1? Is Lyon going to be punished in terms of respect and players because their competitors don’t know how to compete?

The other teams need to step up. For purely selfish reasons, they need to give Lyon competition in order to bring more respect to the league. They need to fight for their place in Europe. They can’t just ride on the coattails of Lyon’s half-successes and then complain about it later.

The French public need to stop favoring magnificent losers and start encouraging pitiless winners.

They owe it to French football, dammit.

/end rant

I’m sure I’ll feel better after a good night of sleep and be more cheerful in tomorrow’s post.

Some Related Lyon Posts:

Category: People, Transfers

« Houllier on His Way to Newcastle? | Home | “Cris Has a Double Personality” »

JohnDuo

Lyon is a great team I think. and very respected. But Lyon needs to do better in Europe if they want to attract big players. Valencia are loosing respect little by little because they have been very disapointing in Europe. Bottom line, it is the presidents duty to make things turn around. If players see that the club is hungry for trophies, and creating a good squad, other top players will want to be part of the project. It's not just about signing one good player, it's about creating a project, it's about ambition and hunger by the president and the club. Valencia's president sucks and Valencia is loosing respect fast. That is why presidents and coaches at Real Madrid and Barcelona have so much pressure, the fans demand success. success is top priority...not just a good signing or a good coach. People want results and a complete team that can challenge for the top prize.
Yanis

Very good article , very true , luckily , with all the money of the sales , we'll be able to build a modern stadium that will be ready in 2010-2011 , and a second centre of formation.

Of course , the competition is uneven in Europe , in France, the Champion gets as much money of TV Rights than the last of the English Premierleague , to give an idea of the financial gap between Ligue1 and the 3 BIG leagues (Spain, England , Italy ) .

Also , the clubs in France always relied on youth systems and formations like in Holland or Portugal , but nowadays , the players are bought younger and younger , so Ligue 1 is plundered every year of its best youngsters which affects the level of the league , and the competition in Europe is harder and harder , and today it's almost impossible to be consistent at the highest level , if you do not take risks on the transfer market , invest a lot of money in the structures and bring in stability in the management , three things that French clubs are incapable to do for different reasons since a couple of years now . They are reluctant to take risks because they cannot afford to be indebted because of the DNCG organism , an institution that punish any club that is in debt and relegate him if so , this doesn't exist in Spain or England or Italy , where clubs can happily spend huge fees and wages on players and afford to go in debts if they know that a rich family benefactor or big investor will inject money into the club to compensate .

And that's the main problem , because even though this year was the first that opened the door for French clubs to enter the stock market , French clubs are still "family-like " clubs for the majority of them , instead of big companies that make huge profits across the world like the big English clubs for instance that have big networks and commercial activity around the globe where the Premiership is watched

Moreover , there is the problem of fiscality , in France the high wages are all taxed at more than 50% , which is enormous , the new elected president wants to change that , anyway , it's a real problem because it means that if a French club wants to give an equal wage as a Spanish or English club , he will need to pay more than 50% more , because of the taxes , our fiscality is simply awful for attracting foreign investments and players , it was meant to finance the welfare state but in the case of football , it's a real disadvantages , that's why the future of French football rely on cointinuing to form , form , form good players , continue to invest in structures and youth systems , hope for a new regulation to protect clubs that form young players ( make it compulsory that young talents sign their first professional contract with the club that formed them for instance ) , and continue to better the formation of the staffs ,trainers and detection of good youngsters across the country , and try to modify our fiscality related to sport , because we are putting ourself into trouble alone (Unless a European DNCG is created and that we limit the number of foreigners in a team (like it was before Bosman , when clubs like Amsterdam's Ajax were still shining ) , but i don't believe it will ever happen as there is no way our neighbours and big clubs that benefit from the current situation will ever accept that all European clubs are submitted to the same rules of transparency , basically that would lessen the impact of having a financial advantage over the other clubs )
MikLaTrik69LYONNAIS !!

ouais ouais salut tout le monde, ça fait plaisir de voir des ricains sinteressé a l'OL là on viens dacheter Keita et Bodmer au milieu pour compenser les depart nombreux de malouda et abidal, ainsi que a.diarra et autres...moi jai viré quand jai vu baros débarqué à lyon, et pour ça je le respecte il a cotoyer les plus grands et il vient jouer en france C classe, il faudrait quil joue plus en champion's league, sur ce a la prochaine hein
azuka

i am 12 years old and i am looking for a way to join lyon football club.i will be greatfull if i can be granted this to play there.
xavier

Everything you said is true, I just want to add this.
Most of teams in france are playing to not be defeated, like bordeaux last year, one fwd and five mdf, they ended the championship 2nd with the best defense and the 12st attack. The only team who plays to win is Lyon and it's working now. But they have been playing like this for 10 years. I remember a bordeaux's team in 2000 with savio pauleta dugarry roche and good brazilian hopefull, eveyone were frightened and play all in defense, bordeaux ended 4th but it's hard to score when you have a goal and 4 player in the goal's line. And that's why also L1 is not more attractive. All the matches are boring, and I prefer to see Lyon, Arsenal, Chelsea, Barcelona even if they lose. We're playing like Italian's team in 1990's.
It's hard also to score when you're 2 fwd alone vs 8 defensive.
Nico

Basically, everything is in place for Ligue 1 to become one of Europe's top leagues in terms of infrastructure, but lacks that attractiveness and flair found in England, Spain, and Italy. The stadiums and youth development programs are great, but much like Holland, many of the best national team players opt to join one of the top 3 European leagues. Until this changes I think that Ligue 1 will remain in the situation that it is currently in. A shift in mentality is needed before the league can progress. Unfortunately, with the seemingly imminent departures of Malouda and Ribery, it may take a while. I am not exactly sure how the clubs in France are managed, but I remember reading an article stating that Lyon only recently made itself available for trade on the stock market. Perhaps foreign investment of some sort is the key?
Cam

Excellent article ! Your website is very good, congratulations.
Corey

Lyon will become a feeder club just like Ajax, Sporting and West Ham if they do not tread carefully.
Thomas

It's hard to debate with you and to comment your posts Inara, because there's just nothing more to add.
Beaver

Well that's what i call a POST, I agree with everything you've said mate, except for one thing Sonny Anderson did come to Lyon. Remember he used to play for Barcelona and was already considered a star, perhaps not a world rank star like Henry or Ronaldinho but at least like you've mentioned a second tier "star", and Jean-Michel Aulas had to spend over 17 millions euros to buy the player which was considered a big amount of money at that time... Anyway I truly believe that French people have to change the way they act and have always acted that is to criticize winners. Perhaps if comptetition was more fierce in the L1 then it would be more attractive to European players. Anyway I'm still happy with how the club is managed by its president, as we may not attract "stars" but we make them (Essien, Diarra, Juninho, Coupet, Cris, Abidal or Malouda are all now world ranked football players!)
Kitey

Spot on. As long as the French clubs don't prove their quality in European competitions on a regular basis, Ligue 1 will be ignored by the top players (and the football fans), sadly.
James

Great rant I think this is 200% true. People need to get behind their respective teams and push them to not play like sh!t. It's like parents spoiling their kids and hoping they turn out all right.