Lyon Go to St. Tropez on Vacation
By: Inara | May 22nd, 2007And no, their season is not yet over. They still have one game left to play this Saturday against Nantes. But since Lyon won the title last December, 2007 has been a long vacation anyway.
Last Saturday, after the piss poor away game against Monaco (they lost 0-1), Juninho & Co. traveled to the sunny paradise of St. Tropez with their families in what is becoming a yearly ritual.
Aulas might be tightfisted with money, but he spared no expense this weekend. After all, not only has he been elected G-14 president, but he has two titles to celebrate. Lyon are league champions in both the male and female divisions, the first “double” of this sort in French footballing history.
Camile Abily led OL Féminines to their first ever league title.
Additionally, Lyon raked up quite a few UNFP honors. Not only did they have nominees in every applicable category (unsurprising since they are perennial champions), but this year was extra special. Despite Gregory Coupet not winning Goalkeeper of the Year award for the first time in five years, both male and female Ligue 1 Players of the Year are Lyonnais: Florent Malouda and Camille Abily. Malouda has succeeded Juninho and Michael Essien, the last two winners, while Abily also won last year.
Karim Benzema was nominated best young player, but he lost to an equally talented Samir Nasri, which was fair under the circumstances, as Benzema has spent most of this year injured. Amusingly, Gerard Houllier was voted Best Manager of the Year. Hahahahaha. Not bad for a guy who has no job security.
Ligue 1’s Best XI
Richert (Sochaux)
Sagna (Auxerre) - Hilton (Lens) - Cries (Lyon)- Abidal (Lyon)
Keita (Lille) - Keita (Lens) - Nasri (Marseilles) - Malouda (Lyon)
Elmander (Toulouse) - Savidan (Valencian)
The entire club was invited, including all players, male and female, their families, as well as staff. So for four days, everyone was ignoring all the infighting, the possible sex scandal, the transfer uncertainties, the potential change in manager, etc. Instead, they were one big happy family.
Awww.
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Tags: Camile Abily, Florent Malouda, Gerard Houllier, Jean-Michel Aulas, Karim Benzema, Ligue 1, OL Féminines, OL Feminin, Pictures, St. Tropez, Team News and Rumors, Title, UNFPSubscribe
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Comments
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Nice swimming togs, Juninho!
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United States
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And by that I pretty much mean: Ick.
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United States -
Nothing says team building more than bocce!
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United States -
So did Wiltord go? If so we need all the details.
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United States -
The shot of Juninho’s package almost made me lose the lunch im currently eating. Aulas looks like such a cool old man in his Bahama wear. This sort of thing is what makes Lyon so special, and I think it is really cool that they do this. But, with all of the rumors and infighting this year, it seems so staged. Claudio is leaving for sure, and Malouda is sitting next to Aulas when he is angled for a move away. No pictures of Abidal or Wiltord surprisingly…
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United States -
Coupet also makes me giggle in that last picture. He looks like what would happen if super-stud athlete and gay hairdresser made a baby.
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United States -
I know Abidal was at St. Tropez, but I haven’t read anything about Wiltord. I don’t know if he went or if he stayed behind. I do know that during the match against Monaco, Wiltord went to watch the Rennes-Lorient game instead.
And Coupet does look like he belongs in California. Laurie, Coupet actually has MLS aspirations. Maybe if Galaxy’s GK moves on…
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United States -
The Galaxy’s current goalkeeper looks a little like Coupet, plays a little like Coupet, and is two years younger. And probably works for a lot less money. So, alas, I’m not seeing much opportunity here.
Seriously, though, one of the things that the US can produce, sadly, is goalkeepers. I read about Coupet’s MLS desires and wish they would accommodate him, but i’m thinking it’s not going to happen. Sigh.
(On an unrelated note, though, am I the only one who wants him to go back to that streaked hair, surfer dude look?)
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