Wikipedia

2008–09 Olympique Lyonnais season

The 2008–09 season was Olympique Lyonnais's 50th anniversary season in Ligue 1 and was their 20th consecutive season in the top division of French football. They were the defending champions having won the title the past seven consecutive seasons. They were entering the season after achieving their first ever double after winning the Coupe de France, along with their league title.

Lyon
2008–09 season
OwnerOL Groupe
ChairmanJean-Michel Aulas
ManagerClaude Puel
StadiumStade de Gerland
Ligue 13rd
Trophée des ChampionsRunners-up
Coupe de la LigueRound of 16
Coupe de FranceRound of 16
Champions LeagueRound of 16
Top goalscorerLeague:
Karim Benzema (17)
All:
Karim Benzema (23)
Highest home attendance40,245 vs AS Monaco (11 April 2009)
Lowest home attendance23,053 vs Metz (11 November 2008)

News edit

Following the 2007–08 season, it was announced by Lyon Chairman Jean-Michel Aulas that manager Alain Perrin would not be returning despite being the first Lyon manager to win the double. Lyon management attributed the firing to "Perrin's several malfunctions that affected the squad daily throughout the season" and their constant failure in Europe.[1] Following an extensive search, which linked the Lyon managerial position to several managers, including former Manchester United assistant and current Portugal national football team coach Carlos Queiroz,[2] Brazilian manager Vanderlei Luxemburgo,[3] and former French players and managers Didier Deschamps and Laurent Blanc[4] to name a few, it was announced on 18 June 2008 that Lille manager Claude Puel would succeed Perrin.[5]

During the managerial search, Lyon made several transfers, though even prior to the managerial search, Lyon made a significant transfer deal, signing Brazilian midfielder Ederson from Nice in January for €15 million.[6] The summer transfers included Hugo Lloris[7] (€8.5 million) who was brought in to replace to outgoing Grégory Coupet, Miralem Pjanić[8] (€7.5 million), Jean Makoun[9] (€14 million) and John Mensah[10] (€8.4 million), who was brought in to replace the outgoing Sébastien Squillaci.

Following last year promotions of youth players Sandy Paillot, Anthony Mounier and Romain Beynié from the youth scheme to the professional squad, Lyon signed another set of youth players to professional contracts. Midfielders Pierrick Valdivia[11] (no relation to Chilean playmaker Jorge Valdivia), Clément Grenier[12] and Saïd Mehamha,[13] and striker Yannis Tafer[12] were promoted to the first-team squad, although they will still play on Lyon's second squad in the CFA. Lyon also sign young prospect Timothée Kolodziejczak from Lens. Kolodziejcak, a teammate of Tafer and Grenier on the international stage, will initially move to Lyon on a loan with a purchase clause likely to occur at a later date.[14] Also in an effort to increase their youths' playing time, Lyon re-loaned Sandy Paillot to Grenoble for the entirety of the season[15] and loaned out midfielder Romain Beynié to Belgian side Tubize.[16]

Notable departures included Loïc Rémy, who moved to Nice[17] and French wunderkind Hatem Ben Arfa, who moved to rivals Marseille.[18] The Ben Arfa move was put into speculation after Lyon officials argued that an agreement was not made between the two clubs.[19] However, after a meeting between the two clubs organized by the LFP, the transfer was back on.[20] Morevor, aforementioned central defender Sébastien Squillaci moved to Sevilla of La Liga.[21]

Other departures include Grégory Coupet, who moved to Atlético Madrid after spending 12 years with the club,[22] Patrick Müller and Frédéric Roux, whose contracts expired on 30 June 2008,[23] and Marc Crosas, who returned to Barcelona after spending the winter on loan with Lyon. Inconsistent striker Milan Baroš additionally moved to Turkish side Galatasaray.

This summer also saw the departure of several Lyon youth players who will attempt to ply their trade elsewhere. Lossémy Karaboué,[24] Alexandre Bouchard,[25] and Aurélien Badin[26] have moved to Ligue 2 sides Sedan, Châteauroux and Troyes respectively. The Italian Francesco Migliore moved to Belgian side R.A.E.C. Mons.[27] Young striker Stephen Ettien moved to Scottish side Hamilton Academical,[28] while Mohamed Bedda and Mickael Charvet earned trials at Strasbourg and Nice respectively.

Transfers edit

Summer 2008 In edit

Date Pos. No. Name From Fee Source
2008-01-29 MF 7   Ederson   Nice €15M Eurosport.uk
2008-05-15 FW 34   Yannis Tafer Promoted from Reserves Boursica.com
2008-05-15 MF 22   Clément Grenier Promoted from Reserves Boursica.com
2008-05-17 DF 15   Sandy Paillot   Grenoble return from loan
2008-06-02 GK 1   Hugo Lloris   Nice €8.5m OLweb.fr
2008-06-05 MF 13   Pierrick Valdivia Promoted from Reserves Mercato365.com
2008-06-06 MF 18   Miralem Pjanić   Metz €7.5M OLweb.fr
2008-06-17 MF 17   Jean Makoun   Lille €14M OLweb.fr
2008-07-01 MF 31   Saïd Mehamha Promoted from Reserves Mercato365.com
2008-07-09 MF 26   Fábio Santos   São Paulo return from loan
2008-07-27 ST 21   Milan Baroš   Portsmouth return from loan
2008-07-21 DF 15   John Mensah   Rennes €8.4M OLweb.fr
2008-07-31 FW 39   Frédéric Piquionne   AS Monaco €4.5M OLweb.fr
2008-08-21 DF 12   Timothée Kolodziejczak   Lens On loan OLweb.fr

Total spending:   €57.9 million

Summer 2008 out edit

Date Pos. No. Name To Fee Source
2008-05-26 MF --   Mohamed Bedda   Strasbourg On trial RacingStub.com
2008-06-02 FW 44   Lossémy Karaboué   Sedan Free transfer Mercato365.com
2008-06-05 FW 12   Loïc Rémy   Nice €8M Mercato365.com
2008-06-24 GK --   Alexandre Bouchard   Châteauroux Free transfer Football365.fr
2008-06-24 DF 36   Aurélien Badin   Troyes Free transfer Mercato365.com
2008-06-30 GK 35   Frédéric Roux TBA End of contract
2008-06-30 DF 4   Patrick Müller   AS Monaco Free transfer Setanta.com[permanent dead link]
2008-06-30 MF 21   Marc Crosas   Barcelona loan return
2008-07-01 MF 18   Hatem Ben Arfa   Marseille €12M Mercato365.com Archived 2011-07-14 at the Wayback Machine
2008-07-05 GK 1   Grégory Coupet   Atlético Madrid €1.5M Soccerway.com
2008-07-14 DF 47   Francesco Migliore   Mons Free transfer LyonCapitale.fr
2008-07-15 DF 22   Anderson   São Paulo loan SkySports.com
2008-07-17 DF 29   Sébastien Squillaci   Sevilla €6.5M UEFA.com
2008-08-20 DF 15   Sandy Paillot   Grenoble On loan Mercato365.com
2008-08-21 MF 24   Romain Beynié   Tubize On loan Mercato365.com
2008-08-26 FW 21   Milan Baroš   Galatasaray €5.5M Galatasaray.org
2008-08-30 FW --   Stephen Ettien   Hamilton Academical Free transfer AcciesFC.co.uk[permanent dead link]

Total income:   €33.5 million

Winter 2009 out edit

Date Pos. No. Name To Fee Source
2009-01-23 DF 22   Anderson   Cruzeiro Loan Mercato365.com
2009-01-31 DF 33   Mickaël Charvet   Ajaccio Free transfer Mercato365.fr
2009-03-01 FW 9   Fred   Fluminense Free SkySports.com

Squad information edit

Last updated May 30, 2009

N
 Pos.
 Nat.
 Name
 Age
 EU
 Since
 App
 Goals
 Ends
 Transfer fee
 Notes
1 GK   Lloris 37 EU 2008 45 0 2013 €8.5M
2 DF   Clerc 41 EU 2002 103 1 2010 Youth system
3 DF   Cris (VC) 46 Non-EU 2004 193 17 2011 €3.5M
4 DF   Boumsong 44 EU 2008 60 2 2011 €3M
5 MF   Bodmer 41 EU 2007 70 7 2011 €6.5M
6 MF   Källström 41 EU 2006 134 12 2010 €8M
7 MF   Ederson 38 Non-EU 2008 45 5 2013 €15M
8 MF   Juninho (captain) 49 EU 2001 303 100 2010 Free
10 FW   Benzema 36 EU 2004 141 63 2013 Youth system
11 DF   Grosso 46 EU 2007 76 2 2011 €7.5M
12 DF   Kolodziejczak 32 EU 2008 1 0 Undisclosed Loan
13 MF   Valdivia 36 EU 2008 0 0 2009 Youth system
14 FW   Govou (VC) 44 EU 1999 317 55 2010 Youth system
15 DF   Mensah 41 Non-EU 2008 17 0 2013 €8.4M
17 MF   Makoun 40 EU 2008 46 9 2012 €14M
18 MF   Pjanić 34 EU 2008 23 0 2013 €8M
19 MF   Delgado 42 Non-EU 2008 35 3 2011 €11M
20 DF   Réveillère 44 EU 2003 200 6 2011 Free
22 MF   Grenier 33 EU 2008 0 0 2011 Youth system
23 FW   Keïta 42 Non-EU 2007 70 8 2011 €18M
25 GK   Hartock 37 EU 2005 0 0 2009 Youth system
26 MF   Fábio Santos 43 Non-EU 2006 25 0 2010 €4.2M
27 FW   Mounier 36 EU 2007 27 5 2010 Youth system
28 MF   Toulalan 40 EU 2006 125 0 2013 €7M
29 FW   Tafer 33 EU 2008 4 0 2011 Youth system
30 GK   Vercoutre 43 EU 2002 47 0 2010 Free
31 MF   Mehamha 33 EU 2008 0 0 2011 Youth system
32 DF   Gassama 34 EU 2008 10 0 2011 Youth system
34 FW   Pied 35 EU 2008 0 0 2011 Youth system
35 DF   Fontaine 32 EU 2008 0 0 Undisclosed Youth system
36 MF   Faure 33 EU 2008 1 0 Undisclosed Youth system
38 FW   Lacazette 33 EU 2008 0 0 Undisclosed Youth system
39 FW   Piquionne 45 EU 2008 26 4 2012 €4.5M

Club edit

Coaching staff edit

 
Claude Puel, first season with Lyon.
Position Staff
Manager   Claude Puel
Assistant manager   Patrick Collot
Assistant manager   Bruno Genesio
First team coach   Rémi Garde
Striker coach   Sonny Anderson
Goalkeeping coach   Joël Bats
Team doctor   Jean-Jacques Amprino
Team doctor   Emmanuel Ohrant
Fitness coach   Robert Duverne

Last updated: 31 July
Source: OLweb.fr

 
Stade de Gerland, current stadia of Lyon.

Other information edit

Chairman   Jean-Michel Aulas
Special Advisor   Bernard Lacombe
Club Ambassador   Sonny Anderson
Ground (capacity and dimensions) Stade de Gerland (41,044 / 112x65 meters)

Updated to match played 7 March
Source: OLweb.fr

Team kits edit

Umbro will provide the kits for Olympique Lyonnais. Umbro have been the official kit provider of Lyon since 2003 and just last year signed an extension with Lyon until 2013.[29] This season, Lyon will have brand new home, away, and Champions League kits. The kits were presented on June 30, 2008.[30] The new home kit is original white with the red and blue vertical strip, along with single blue stripes along the shoulders. The new away kit is all blue with single black stripes along the shoulders and the new Champions League away kit is electric yellow with the red and blue vertical stripe, along with single red and blue stripes on the shoulders.[31] The team's alternate away kit consists of the home shirt with red shorts and white socks. It is only worn when Lyon are unable to wear their white shorts in an away tie due to the designated home team wearing white shorts.[32]

Supplier: Umbro
Sponsor(s): Novotel (home) and Ticket Restaurant (away)

 
 
 
 
 
 
Home Kit
 
 
 
 
 
Away Kit
 
 
 
 
 
 
Euro Kit
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alternate Away Kit
 
 
 
 
 
 
Goalkeeper Kit
 
 
 
 
 
Goalkeeper Away Kit

Pre-season friendlies edit

Lyon played a total of six friendly matches. Lyon opened up their pre-season on 12 July with a 3–2 victory over Nîmes in Albertville, near Tignes, the location of Lyon's pre-season camp. A week later, on 19 July, they traveled away to Bucharest to face Rapid București, which resulted in a 2–1 loss. They then took a trip to Belgrade to play against Partizan on 23 July. Lyon came out with a positive result, beating the Serbian side 3–1 with goals from Karim Benzema and Sidney Govou. They followed that victory up with another as they cruised to a 3–0 victory over Ligue 1 side Nancy in nearby Villefranche-sur-Saône. Their last friendly in the month of July would in turn be a 0–1 defeat to AS Monaco on July 29 in Annecy.[33] Their final friendly match was the annual Trophée des Champions match. Since Lyon won both the league and the Coupe de France, they faced the club that finished in second place in Ligue 1 this past season, Bordeaux. The match was played on 2 August at Bordeaux's ground, the Stade Chaban-Delmas.[34] After 90 minutes without a goal, Bordeaux defeated Lyon 5–4 on penalties to earn their first Trophée des Champions title, ending Lyon's streak of six-straight Trophée des Champions titles.

Date Opponents H / A Result Scorers Attendance
July 12, 2008   Nîmes Olympique H 3 – 2 Juninho   6', Tafer   40', Mounier   63'
July 19, 2008   Rapid București A 1 – 2 Tafer   57'
July 23, 2008   Partizan A 3 – 1 Sikimić   16' (o.g.), Govou   22', Benzema   64'
July 24, 2008   Nancy H 3 – 0 Juninho   6', Pied   68', Tafer   77' 3,000
July 29, 2008   AS Monaco H 0 – 1 3,500
August 2, 2008   Bordeaux A 4 – 5 (P) 27,167

Competitions edit

Lyon opened up their Ligue 1 season in a positive fashion, defeating Toulouse 3–0 with a brace from Karim Benzema and a rare goal from Jean Makoun. Following a 0–0 draw away to Lorient, which dropped them to third in the league standings, Lyon rebounded with back-to-back wins over Rhône-Alpes rivals Grenoble and Saint-Étienne respectively. Following that, Lyon picked up their third-straight victory with a 3–2 win over Nice. The match was, however, marred with controversy—after trailing 0–2, Lyon got back into the match with two spectacular free-kicks from Juninho. With the match in injury time and looking to end in a draw, referee Jean-Charles Cailleux and one of his assistant referees ruled a handball infraction had been committed by Nice defender Vincent Hognon in the box, giving Lyon a penalty which was converted by Benzema. Looking at the replay, it could have easily been determined that the handball infraction had been without malice and that the penalty should have not been given. However, Lyon escaped with a victory, which moved them into first place. They followed this win up with back to back one goal wins over newly promoted side Le Havre and Nancy giving them five-straight league victories.

The following week, Lyon received their first loss in the league against Rennes that would later be described as a "thrashing" by the media.[35] Lyon struggled in every aspect of the match and allowed Rennes striker Mickaël Pagis to score a hat-trick, the last goal being a beautiful strike from almost 30 yards out.[36] The loss to Rennes showed as Lyon's horrible form continued drawing with both Lille and Auxerre the following two weeks. Lyon finally got back on track with shut-out wins over Sochaux, Le Mans and Monaco before heading into their showdown with imminent rivals Bordeaux. With Lyon playing at home, they proved to still be the most dominant French side in the league, defeating Bordeaux 2–1 with goals from Benzema and a beautiful goal from Kim Källström.[37] The following week, Lyon got another test, this time in Paris. In this match, Lyon not only incurred their second defeat, but they lost their consistent right back Anthony Réveillère to injury with the player likely being out for the season, though he later returned to the squad.[38] The following match, Lyon only managed a 0–0 draw in the downpouring rain against Valenciennes.[39]

Lyon suffered their third defeat of the season the following week against relegation strugglers Nantes. Lyon came into the match apparently looking ahead to their Champions League clash with Bayern Munich and proceeded to underestimate the West Coast side, who defeated Lyon 1–2 with two goals from the Croat Ivan Klasnić.[40] The loss was promptly followed by a showdown for first place with rivals Marseille the following week. Other than battling for first place, the return of Hatem Ben Arfa to the Stade Gerland was on the minds of supporters, as well as the players. However, despite the hype and build-up leading up to the match, including achieving a record television audience,[41] both clubs failed to score a goal as the match ended in another 0–0 draw.[42] Lyon finally ended their winless run with a 1–0 victory over Caen with Benzema scoring Lyon's lone goal, his tenth of the league campaign.[43] With the victory, Lyon were assured first place heading into the three-week winter break.

Lyon returned from the winter break taking on Lorient. Despite getting an early goal from Ederson, Lyon failed to get a winning result leaving the match with a 1–1 draw.[44] The following week, they rebounded with a 2–0 victory over Grenoble with Ederson getting on the scoreboard for the second-straight week.[45] Due to Lyon's cup matches being postponed, they were forced to endure two cup matches in a span of four days before facing rivals Saint-Étienne. The match ended in another 1–1 draw.[46] After a full week of training, Lyon again rebounded from a draw picking up a convincing 3–1 victory over Hugo Lloris' former club Nice, with Jean Makoun scoring an unexpected brace.[47] This match also marked the league debut of youth product Yannis Tafer. The following week, they picked up another convincing 3–1 win, this time against Le Havre, with Makoun scoring again. This match also marked Lyon's third-straight match where a red card was given. The following week, Lyon again earned a victory, defeating Nancy 2–0. Lyon started the match without the majority of their regulars who were being rested for the first leg of their Champion's League showdown with Barcelona.

Returning from Champion's League play, Lyon faced Rennes, who was responsible for the champions first loss of the season. The match remained even until the 66th minute when Kim Källström scored following a gifted pass from the youngster Miralem Pjanić. The scoreline remained until injury time when Rennes striker Jimmy Briand scored after receiving a nice through-ball which caught Lyon defender Cris off guard. Briand proceeded to get a shot on the ball off balance, which got past the charging Hugo Lloris to tie the match 1–1, the eventual final scoreline. Lyon followed this draw with a defeat taking on Lille, whom they had just contested three days ago in a Coupe de France tie. With the match being played at the Stade de France and the clubs entertaining a record crowd, Lyon fielded a pretty strong, yet questionable side with players Mathieu Bodmer and François Clerc returning from a long absence and also having the task of defeating Barcelona in Spain in the second leg of their Champion's League clash. In the match, Lyon failed constantly to get on the scoreboard with the former mastiff Kader Keïta missing on numerous opportunities. Lille made sure they made good on their chances with Róbert Vittek scoring the opening goal in the 60th minute and Michel Bastos finishing off Lyon, scoring the second goal in the 88th minute to pick up a 0–2 victory.

After returning from their embarrassing defeat to Barcelona in Spain, Lyon suffered another embarrassment losing their first match at home this season to minnows Auxerre, despite both management and Claude Puel stating the club would respond positively to their elimination from the Champion's League. Fielding exactly the same lineup that lost 2–5 to Barcelona, Lyon failed for the second week in a row to get on the scoreboard losing 0–2 to Auxerre, who got goals from Ireneusz Jeleń and Thomas Kahlenberg, leaving Lyon to hope they get a positive result from the Le Classique in order to hold on to their first-place position.

They would indeed keep hold of first place as a result of Marseille's 3–1 victory over PSG. Lyon responded by picking up their first league victory in over three matches in a 2–0 win over Sochaux. They captured their second-straight league victory in a win over Le Mans with Karim Benzema securing a much-needed brace in a 3–1 win. With the likes of Marseille, Bordeaux, PSG, Lille and Toulouse on their backs, Lyon needed victories to ensure their eighth-straight league title. They proceeded to falter drawing with mid-table club Monaco 2–2. Despite being ten spots down in the table, Monaco were the stronger side forcing Lyon to come back from a goal down twice. The draw also dropped Lyon from the top spot, which they had held since the fourth week of the season. With Marseille recording a victory over Lorient hours before, Lyon needed a victory over Bordeaux to ensure they remain in the title race. Early on in the match, Lyon were denied a clear penalty chance after Ederson was taking down in the box by Bordeaux right back Matthieu Chalmé. Bordeaux proceeded to score just before half-time with a goal from the former Lyonnais Alou Diarra after Wendel hit the post on a shot off a corner kick. Chalmé would be involved in another denied penalty dispute later in the match, this time with Benzema. Despite the initial foul occurring inside the penalty box, referee Stéphane Bré ruled the foul had occurred outside the box where Benzema fell. Eventually, Lyon fell to Bordeaux dropping the defending champions to third and, instead of fighting for the title, were now fighting for the third and final Champions League place with PSG, whom they faced next week. Played on a Friday, Lyon failed to score a goal for the second straight week as the match ended in a 0–0 draw. The next week against Valenciennes, Lyon endured their seventh defeat of the season, losing 0–2. The lost effectively, but not mathematically, eliminated Lyon from winning their eight consecutive title. That occurred the following week. Despite defeating Nantes 3–0 with Jean Makoun scoring a brace, a victory by Bordeaux over Valenciennes eliminated Lyon from title contention.

Instead of reminiscing, Lyon took the opportunity to focus on qualifying for next year's UEFA Champions League with a key match against Marseille. Though they were positioned for the third qualifying round in the standings, Lyon looked to jump Marseille into second position to go directly through the group stage. In front of a record crowd for a Marseille match, Lyon cruised to a 3–1 victory, with Benzema finally ending his goal drought scoring a brace. Juninho scored the third goal. The following week, against Caen, Juninho and Benzema scored again in a 3–1 victory. For Juninho, it was his 100th career goal for Lyon. Juninho also received a standing ovation upon being substituted out, in what some knew was his final match at the Stade Gerland. Unfortunately, the victory was with malice since Marseille also won that week. Lyon were now guaranteed to finish in the third spot, meaning they would be seeded directly into the Playoff round, where they might end up facing the likes of the 2008–09 UEFA Cup champions Shakhtar Donetsk and Sporting CP.

Ligue 1 edit

League table edit

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Bordeaux (C) 38 24 8 6 64 34 +30 80 Qualification to Champions League group stage
2 Marseille 38 22 11 5 67 35 +32 77
3 Lyon 38 20 11 7 52 29 +23 71 Qualification to Champions League play-off round
4 Toulouse 38 16 16 6 45 27 +18 64 Qualification to Europa League play-off round
5 Lille 38 17 13 8 51 39 +12 64 Qualification to Europa League third qualifying round
Source: Ligue 1
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
France's third UEFA Europa League spot went to Ligue 2 side Guingamp, winners of 2008–09 Coupe de France.
(C) Champions

Results summary edit

Overall Home Away
Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts W D L GF GA GD W D L GF GA GD
38 20 11 7 49 28  +21 71 10 8 1 29 14  +15 10 3 6 20 14  +6

Source: lfp.fr

Results by round edit

Round1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738
GroundHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHNHHAHAHAHAHA
ResultWDWWWWWLDDWWWWLDLDWDWDWWWDLLWWDLDLWWWD
Position13221111111111111111111111111123333333
Source: lfp.fr
A = Away; H = Home; N = Neutral; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Date[48] Opponents H / A Result Scorers Attendance Position Referee
2008
10 August Toulouse H 3 – 0 Makoun   12', Benzema   58', 66' 36,448 1st Fredy Fautrel
17 August Lorient A 0 – 0 14,617 3rd Antony Gautier
23 August Grenoble H 2 – 0 Makoun   6', Benzema   36' 38,754 2nd Hervé Piccirillo
31 August Saint-Étienne A 1 – 0 Benzema   56' 34,704 2nd Laurent Duhamel
13 September Nice H 3 – 2 Juninho   40', 71', Benzema   90' 35,925 1st Jean-Charles Cailleux
20 September Le Havre A 1 – 0 Ederson   44' 16,211 1st Philippe Kalt
27 September Nancy H 2 – 1 Benzema   31', Fred   36' 36,895 1st Stéphane Bré
5 October Rennes A 0 – 3 27,816 1st Damien Ledentu
18 October Lille H 2 – 2 Chedjou   23' (o.g.), Grosso   76' 38,314 1st Thierry Auriac
25 October Auxerre A 0 – 0 15,042 1st Saïd Ennjimi
29 October Sochaux A 2 – 0 Benzema   66', Delgado   90+2' 17,482 1st Antony Gautier
2 November Le Mans H 2 – 0 Benzema   22', Juninho   55' 36,456 1st Lionel Jaffredo
8 November AS Monaco A 1 – 0 Fred   54' 10,444 1st Hervé Piccirillo
16 November Bordeaux H 2 – 1 Benzema   33', Källström   38' 36,341 1st Bertrand Layec
22 November PSG A 0 – 1 44,780 1st Stéphane Lannoy
29 November Valenciennes H 0 – 0 35,988 1st Bruno Coue
6 December Nantes A 1 – 2 Piquionne   44' 26,624 1st Damien Ledentu
14 December Marseille H 0 – 0 39,638 1st Stéphane Bré
20 December Caen A 1 – 0 Benzema   42' 20,613 1st Lionel Jaffredo
2009
10 January Lorient H 1 – 1 Ederson   9' 34,809 1st Hervé Piccirillo
17 January Grenoble A 2 – 0 Ederson   15', Delgado   77' 19,264 1st Thierry Auriac
1 February Saint-Étienne H 1 – 1 Juninho   53' 38,590 1st Stéphane Lannoy
7 February Nice A 3 – 1 Makoun   19', 80', Benzema   27' 12,844 1st Bertrand Layec
14 February Le Havre H 3 – 1 Ederson   34', Keïta   44', Juninho   73' 37,118 1st Alain Hamer
21 February Nancy A 2 – 0 Cris   19', Benzema   90' 18,953 1st Fredy Fautrel
1 March Rennes H 1 – 1 Källström   66' 34,870 1st Philippe Kalt
7 March Lille N 0 – 2 78,056 1st Saïd Ennjimi
14 March Auxerre H 0 – 2 37,846 1st Thierry Auriac
22 March Sochaux H 2 – 0 Ederson   14', Mounier   70' 37,334 1st Olivier Thual
4 April Le Mans A 3 – 1 Boumsong   18', Benzema   44', 57' 13,175 1st Philippe Malige
11 April AS Monaco H 2 – 2 Cris   65', Piquionne   81' 40,245 2nd Antony Gautier
19 April Bordeaux A 0 – 1 32,858 3rd Stéphane Bré
24 April PSG H 0 – 0 38,827 3rd Bertrand Layec
2 May Valenciennes A 0 – 2 3rd Hervé Piccirillo
12 May Nantes H 3 – 0 Makoun   7', 34', Mounier   77' 36,792 3rd Lionel Jaffredo
17 May Marseille A 3 – 1 Benzema   31', 42', Juninho   90' 56,498 3rd Stéphane Lannoy
23 May Caen H 3 – 1 Juninho   36', Govou   65', Benzema   86' 39,312 3rd Damien Ledentu
30 May Toulouse A 0 – 0 33,462 3rd Antony Gautier

UEFA Champions League edit

Lyon entered the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League for the eighth-straight season. Due to finishing as champions of Ligue 1 the past season, Lyon again entered directly to the group stage. The draw for the group stage was determined on August 28, 2008. Lyon were paired with the defending German champions Bayern Munich, Italian side Fiorentina and the Romanian runners-up Steaua București.

Lyon began their Champions League quest at home taking on Fiorentina. Lyon also unveiled their fluorescent green third kit in this match. As with the Nice match, which occurred just four days before, this match had its share of controversy. Following a disappointing first half, with Fiorentina leading 0–2 after two goals from Alberto Gilardino, Lyon came out for the second half with scoring in mind. With Lyon attacking, following a cross into the box, a collision occurred just inside the field of play between Frédéric Piquionne and Fiorentina defender Luciano Zauri, which unexpectedly injured the latter. Following a clearance by the Fiorentina defence, it was expected, by Fiorentina, that the ball would be put out of play with fair play being in mind. However, with Lyon trailing 0–2 and several Lyon players not having any idea of Zauri being down, they proceeded to attack and eventually a goal was scored by Piquionne. Following this incident, Lyon still trailed 1–2, but in the 86th minute, after earning a free kick, Juninho and Benzema proceeded to display excellent and sly teamwork as Benzema equalised for his side drawing the match 2–2 and giving both clubs one point through one round.

With one point in hand, Lyon traveled to Munich to take on group leaders Bayern, who defeated Steaua București 1–0 on the opening matchday. With both teams coming off unimpressive matches a couple of days before (Lyon an unspectacular 2–1 victory over Nancy and Bayern, a 0–1 loss away to Hannover 96), the match showed why with Lyon's only goal coming off the head of Bayern defender Martín Demichelis in the 25th minute from one of Juninho's spot-kicks. Bayern later equalised through Zé Roberto in the second half. Though Lyon had decent chances, including one where Karim Benzema had a chance to capitalize on a Bayern mistake late in the second half, the match remained 1–1 with Lyon leaving Munich with just two points through two matches.

After starting off slow, Lyon rebounded picking up two victories in their home-away series with Steaua. Similar to last season matches with VfB Stuttgart, Lyon used these matches to get back into the competition defeating Steaua 5–3 in Romania. They came back from a 2–0 deficit and a 3–2 one-goal deficit before finishing off the Romanian side in the latter portion of the second half with a goal from Benzema and a brace from Fred. The second match was a positive result as well, with Lyon picking up a solid 2–0 victory with goals from Juninho and Anthony Réveillère. With the result in the other match between Bayern and Fiorentina being a draw, this moved Lyon into first place in the group (on goal differential) heading into the final two matchdays.

With the group stage drawing to an end and injuries piling up, Lyon traveled to Florence to again face Fiorentina. Despite having injury troubles at the back of the defense, Lyon performed well and only conceded one goal, again from Alberto Gilardino, though at the time of the goal, Lyon were up 2–0 after goals from Jean Makoun and Karim Benzema. Despite chances from Juninho and Ederson, in which both players hit the post in amazing fashion, the scoreline remained as Lyon booked their place in the knockout stage. In the final group stage match, which decided what team would finish first place in the group, Bayern Munich defeated Lyon 2–3, scoring all three of their goals in the first half. Lyon controlled the second half with two goals from Sidney Govou and Benzema, but could not get a third to draw the match or a fourth to win the group. With this result, Lyon went through as second.

Group F edit

Main article: 2008–09 UEFA Champions League group stage § Group F

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Bayern Munich 6 4 2 0 12 4 +8 14 Advance to knockout phase
2   Lyon 6 3 2 1 14 10 +4 11
3   Fiorentina 6 1 3 2 5 8 −3 6 Transfer to UEFA Cup
4   Steaua București 6 0 1 5 3 12 −9 1
Source: RSSSF

Results by round edit

Round12345678
GroundHAAHAHHA
ResultDDWWWLDL
Source: uefa.com
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss
Date Opponents H / A Result Scorers Attendance Position Referee
17 September 2008   Fiorentina H 2 – 2 Piquionne   73', Benzema   86' 37,500 2nd   Peter Fröjdfeldt
30 September 2008   Bayern Munich A 1 – 1 Martín Demichelis   25' (o.g.) 64,000 2nd   Kyros Vassaras
21 October 2008   Steaua București A 5 – 3 Keïta   23', Benzema   33', 71', Fred   69', 90+2' 20,000 2nd   Grzegorz Gilewski
5 November 2008   Steaua București H 2 – 0 Juninho   44', Réveillère   89' 30,243 1st   Manuel González
25 November 2008   Fiorentina A 2 – 1 Makoun   14', Benzema   27' 35,000 1st   Viktor Kassai
10 December 2008   Bayern Munich H 2 – 3 Govou   52', Benzema   68' 38,349 2nd   Howard Webb

First Knockout Round edit

For the six-straight season, Lyon reached the first knockout round. Due to finishing second, Lyon faced the danger of being paired with several big clubs that finished first in other groups. Notable clubs Lyon could have been paired with include Liverpool, Manchester United, Barcelona and Juventus to name a few. Following the draw, Lyon indeed received a tough draw, being given La Liga side Barcelona. Lyon and Barcelona were in the same group the previous Champions League season. Lyon lost to Barcelona 0–3 at the Camp Nou, but played well enough to earn a 2–2 draw at home.

Date Round Opponents H / A Result
F – A 		Scorers Attendance Referee
24 February 2009 First knockout round
First leg 		  Barcelona H 1 – 1 Juninho   7' 39,258   Wolfgang Stark
11 March 2009 First knockout round
Second leg 		  Barcelona A 2 – 5 Makoun   44', Juninho   48' 93,062   Tom Øvrebø

In the opening leg at the Gerland, Lyon got off to a quick start scoring in just the seventh minute with a deceiving free kick, from an odd angle, by Juninho, which confused Barcelona goalkeeper Víctor Valdés and eventually with into the inside of the side netting. Lyon continued to perform well into the first half, with the defence constantly pressing Barcelona's attack and Lyon's offence missing on a variety of goal chances. Barcelona eventually got its equaliser from the head of Thierry Henry, drawing the match at 1–1. This was the final scoreline as Lyon headed into the second leg at the Camp Nou.

In the second leg, the exact opposite occurred, with Barcelona constantly pressurizing Lyon in the first half, leaving Barcelona to control the match with most of the possession occurring in Barça's attack. This showed as Barcelona earned first half goals from Henry twice, Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o, which effectively ended Lyon's chances of advancing to the quarter-finals, despite Jean Makoun and Juninho scoring back-to-back goals in the 44th and 48th minutes respectively. The final scoreline eventually was 2–5, eliminating Lyon from the Champion's League for the seventh consecutive season and for the third consecutive season in the Round of 16.

Coupe de la Ligue edit

Lyon entered the Coupe de la Ligue season having last won the cup in 2001. The previous season, they were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Le Mans. As with all other years, Lyon entered the cup in the Round of 16 as they qualified for the UEFA Champions League, where they faced last year's relegated side Metz. However, despite being relegated last season, Metz pulled off a tremendous 1–3 victory eliminating the defending league champions from the competition for the 8th straight season. Since winning the title in 2001, Lyon have only made it to January (usually when the quarter-finals take place) four times.

Date Round Opponents H/A Result Scorers Attendance Referee
11 November 2008 Round of 16 Metz H 1 – 3 Cris   48' 23,053 Fredy Fautrel

Coupe de France edit

Lyon entered the 2008–2009 Coupe de France season as defending champions, having won the title the previous season in a highly contested 1–0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain. Lyon began the defense of their title heading to the West coast to take on the Brittany-based side US Concarneau. The match was postponed from its assigned 3 January date due to a frozen pitch and was rescheduled to be played on January 24, 2009. Though Lyon were the dominant side the entire match, the score at halftime was only 2–0. Lyon came out blazing in the second half scoring four goals, three of them in the final six minutes of the match to defeat Concarneau by a score of 6–0.

Lyon advanced to the Round of 32 where they faced rivals Marseille in what was the first big draw of the Cup. In the match, Lyon got off to a quick start with Karim Benzema scoring the first goal in just the second minute. The rest of the match was fairly even, though, marred with several incidents, including former Lyon player Hatem Ben Arfa receiving a barrage of boos when he entered as a substitute in the 16th minute, as well as every time he touched the ball and Lyon player Kader Keïta picking up a second yellow card for elbowing new Marseille player Brandão in the face. In the end, Benzema's goal was the only goal of the match with Lyon securing their place in the Round of 16, where they faced another secondary rival, Lille. Lille, whom Lyon were to face in a league tie three days later, opened the scoring with a goal from Michel Bastos in the 22nd minute. Lyon responded just two minutes later with a goal from Jean Makoun. Just before half-time, Lille's prolific youngster Eden Hazard scored to give Lille a 2–1 lead. Lyon again responded just two minutes later in injury time with a goal from a Lyon youngster Anthony Mounier, thus evening the match heading into halftime. With Lyon constantly responding back, Lille effectively ended Lyon's chances of defending their title by scoring at the death with a goal from Nicolas Fauvergue giving Lyon no time to respond back, eliminating the defending champions from the Coupe de France.

Date Round Opponents H/A Result Scorers Attendance Referee
24 January Round of 64 Concarneau A 6 – 0 Boumsong   29', Mounier   36', 63', Delgado   86', Keïta   89', Piquionne   90+2' 15,000 Fredy Fautrel
28 January Round of 32 Marseille H 1 – 0 Benzema   2' 28,304 Laurent Duhamel
4 March Round of 16 Lille A 2 – 3 Makoun   24', Mounier   45' 16,000 Stéphane Bré

Start formations edit

Qnt Formation Match(es)
2 4-4-1-1 2, 13
7 4-4-2 3, 8, 11, 12, 14, 19, 20
12 4-2-3-1 1, 4, 6, 16, UCL 6, 21, CDF 2, 22, 25, CDF 3, 34, 36
27 4-3-3 5, UCL 1, 7, UCL 2, 9, UCL 3, 10, UCL 4, CDL 1, 15, UCL 5, 17, 18, CDF 1, 23, 24, UCL K1, 26, 27, UCL K2, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 37, 38
Last updated: 30 May 2009
Source: Match reports in Competitive matches
Only competitive matches.

Starting 11 edit

Note: Formation shown indicates formation used in
club's league match against Toulouse on May 30.

Squad stats edit

Appearances and goals edit

Last updated on May 30, 2009.

No. Pos Nat Player Total Ligue 1 Champions League Coupe de la Ligue Coupe de France
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
1 GK   FRA Hugo Lloris 45 0 35 0 8 0 0 0 2 0
2 DF   FRA François Clerc 10 0 9 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
3 DF   BRA Cris 44 3 34 2 6 0 1 1 3 0
4 DF   FRA Jean-Alain Boumsong 43 2 32 1 8 0 0 0 3 1
5 MF   FRA Mathieu Bodmer 20 0 17 0 3 0 0 0 0 0
6 MF   SWE Kim Källström 41 2 32 2 6 0 1 0 2 0
7 MF   BRA Ederson 45 5 35 5 8 0 1 0 1 0
8 MF   BRA Juninho 38 10 29 7 7 3 1 0 1 0
10 FW   FRA Karim Benzema 46 23 36 17 8 5 0 0 2 1
11 DF   ITA Fabio Grosso 32 1 22 1 6 0 1 0 3 0
12 DF   FRA Timothée Kolodziejczak 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
13 MF   FRA Pierrick Valdivia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
14 FW   FRA Sidney Govou 19 2 15 1 4 1 0 0 0 0
15 DF   GHA John Mensah 17 0 12 0 4 0 0 0 1 0
17 MF   CMR Jean Makoun 46 9 35 7 8 1 1 0 2 1
18 MF   BIH Miralem Pjanić 23 0 20 0 1 0 0 0 2 0
19 FW   ARG César Delgado 27 3 20 2 4 0 0 0 3 1
20 DF   FRA Anthony Réveillère 23 1 19 0 4 1 0 0 0 0
22 MF   FRA Clément Grenier 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
23 FW   CIV Kader Keïta 29 3 21 1 5 1 1 0 2 1
25 GK   FRA Joan Hartock 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
26 MF   BRA Fábio Santos 9 0 6 0 0 0 1 0 2 0
27 FW   FRA Anthony Mounier 26 5 18 2 4 0 1 0 3 3
28 MF   FRA Jérémy Toulalan 43 0 33 0 8 0 0 0 2 0
29 FW   FRA Yannis Tafer 4 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
30 GK   FRA Rémy Vercoutre 5 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
31 MF   FRA Saïd Mehamha 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
32 DF   FRA Lamine Gassama 10 0 7 0 1 0 1 0 1 0
34 FW   FRA Jérémy Pied 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
35 DF   FRA Thomas Fontaine 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
36 DF   FRA Sébastien Faure 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
38 FW   FRA Alexandre Lacazette 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
39 FW   FRA Frédéric Piquionne 26 4 19 2 3 1 1 0 3 1
Players sold/retired after the start of the season:
9 FW   BRA Fred 20 4 15 2 4 2 1 0 0 0

Other statistics edit

Last updated May 30, 2009

Note: For all competitive competitions

No. Pos. Nationality Player   Assists   Minutes Played       
1 GK   France Hugo Lloris 0 4070 1 0 0
2 DF   France François Clerc 0 805 0 0 0
3 DF   Brazil Cris 1 3898 10 0 0
4 DF   France Jean-Alain Boumsong 1 3411 3 0 0
5 MF   France Mathieu Bodmer 0 1472 0 0 0
6 MF   Sweden Kim Källström 5 2710 4 0 0
7 MF   Brazil Ederson 2 2823 4 0 0
8 MF   Brazil Juninho 6 2679 8 1 1
9 FW   Brazil Fred 1 1147 2 0 0
10 FW   France Karim Benzema 4 3435 2 0 0
11 DF   Italy Fabio Grosso 2 2748 11 0 0
12 DF   France Timothée Kolodziejczak 0 79 1 0 0
13 MF   France Pierrick Valdivia 0 0 0 0 0
14 FW   France Sidney Govou 1 1284 5 1 0
15 DF   Ghana John Mensah 0 1345 3 2 0
17 DF   Cameroon Jean Makoun 3 3650 8 0 0
18 MF   Bosnia and Herzegovina Miralem Pjanić 1 714 2 0 0
19 MF   Argentina César Delgado 3 1450 4 0 0
20 DF   France Anthony Réveillère 0 1952 4 0 0
22 MF   France Clément Grenier 0 0 0 0 0
23 FW   Ivory Coast Kader Keïta 1 1653 2 1 0
25 GK   France Joan Hartock 0 0 0 0 0
26 MF   Brazil Fábio Santos 0 485 0 0 0
27 FW   France Anthony Mounier 2 1006 0 0 0
28 MF   France Jérémy Toulalan 2 3776 9 0 0
29 FW   France Yannis Tafer 1 51 0 0 0
30 GK   France Rémy Vercoutre 0 450 0 0 0
31 MF   France Saïd Mehamha 0 0 0 0 0
32 DF   France Lamine Gassama 0 862 4 0 0
34 FW   France Jérémy Pied 0 0 0 0 0
35 DF   France Thomas Fontaine 0 0 0 0 0
36 DF   France Sébastien Faure 0 90 1 0 0
38 FW   France Alexandre Lacazette 0 0 0 0 0
39 FW   France Frédéric Piquionne 1 926 3 1 0

Reserves and Academy edit

2008–09 season
Championnat de France AmateursGroupe B, 7th
Championnat de France Amateurs PlayoffsChampions
Championnat National Under-181st[49]
Championnat National Under-18 Final PhaseEliminated[50]
Coupe GambardellaEliminated
Championnat National Under-161st[51]
Championnat National Under-16 2nd PhaseEliminated[52]
Top goalscorerLeague: Yannis Tafer (CFA) (4)
All: Yannis Tafer (CFA) (4)

The Olympique Lyonnais Reserves and Academy teams will also participate in seasonal activities this season. The second team, Olympique Lyonnais B, will participate in the Championnat de France Amateurs. The under-18 squad will participate in their league, the Championnat National Under-18 and the Coupe Gambardella. The under-16 squad will also participate in their league, Championnat National Under-16, as well as the Coupe Nationale des 16 ans, which is a regional tournament composed of regional squads that play against other regions. Lyon players selected will participate with the Rhône-Alpes team.

Match results edit

Note: For the squads of the CFA, Under-18, and the Under-16, click here and here.

Championnat de France Amateurs edit

Final stage edit

Championnat National Under-18 edit

Final stage edit

Coupe Gambardella edit

Championnat National Under-16 edit

2nd stage edit

Olympique Lyonnais Ladies edit

2008–09 season
Manager  Farid Benstiti
D1 FéminineChampions
Challenge de FranceEliminated
UEFA Women's CupEliminated
Top goalscorerLeague: Kátia (22)
All: Kátia (28)

The Olympique Lyonnais Ladies will also participate in their respective activities this season. The ladies, just like their male counterparts, won the double last season. They will compete in the top tier French women's division, the Division 1 Féminine, the women's version of the Coupe de France, the Challenge de France, and the UEFA Women's Cup, where they will begin from the second qualifying round.

Note: For the Olympique Lyonnais women's squad, click here.

Match results edit

Division 1 Féminine edit

Challenge de France edit

Group B3 edit

Main article: 2008–09 UEFA Women's Cup

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1   Lyon 3 3 0 0 18 1 +17 9
2   Arsenal Ladies 3 2 0 1 13 5 +8 6
3   Neulengbach 3 1 0 2 5 17 −12 3
4   Zürich 3 0 0 3 6 19 −13 0
Source: [citation needed]

Second Qualifying Round edit

Quarter-finals edit

Semi-finals edit

References edit

  1. ^ COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE
  2. ^ Lyon: Carlos Queiroz pisté?
  3. ^ Vanderlei Luxemburgo said he is unlikely to quit
  4. ^ Puel 'Very Happy' With Lyon Move
  5. ^ Claude Puel nouvel entraîneur général
  6. ^ Eurosport.uk
  7. ^ Hugo Lloris est Lyonnais
  8. ^ Miralem Pjanic est Lyonnais
  9. ^ "Jean II Makoun est lyonnais". Archived from the original on 2008-12-04. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  10. ^ John Mensah est lyonnais
  11. ^ Valdivia passe pro
  12. ^ a b UNFP Trophies: OL players shine – Women's team: two-time French champions (DiR)
  13. ^ Mehamha passe pro
  14. ^ Thimothée Kolodziecziak est Lyonnais
  15. ^ Paillot prêté à Grenoble Archived August 21, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ "Beynié prêté à Tubize". Archived from the original on 2008-08-24. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
  17. ^ Nice: Arrivée de Rémy
  18. ^ "OFFICIEL: ACCORD POUR LE TRANSFERT DE BEN ARFA". Archived from the original on 2008-06-27. Retrieved 2008-06-25.
  19. ^ Lyon Block Ben Arfa Move
  20. ^ "Ben Arfa verra bien la Canebière". Archived from the original on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  21. ^ Squillaci completes Sevilla switch
  22. ^ Atletico sign Coupet from Lyon
  23. ^ VON BERGEN TO MISS EURO 2008 WITH HAND INJURY
  24. ^ Sedan: Arrivée de Karaboué
  25. ^ Chatearoux: Bouchard signe trois ans
  26. ^ Troyes: Trois nouveaux joueurs
  27. ^ Francesco Migliore signe à Mons
  28. ^ Hamilton make late triple signing
  29. ^ "Umbro strengthens ties with Lyon". Archived from the original on 2008-10-12. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
  30. ^ Lancement des maillots 2008/2009
  31. ^ Les nouveaux maillots 2008/09, enfin dévoilés
  32. ^ Benzema coup franc contre Saint-Etienne
  33. ^ Les matchs amicaux de l'OL
  34. ^ Le Trophée des Champions se jouera à Bordeaux
  35. ^ French champions Lyon slump to first defeat
  36. ^ Rennes 3-0 lyon, triplé de Pagis
  37. ^ Lyon beats title rival Bordeaux 2-1 to move seven points ahead in standings[usurped]
  38. ^ Lyon defender Reveillere out for season
  39. ^ Lyon held by lowly Valenciennes
  40. ^ Nantes rallies to beat Lyon 2-1 in French league
  41. ^ OL-OM : Record historique
  42. ^ Lyon held 0-0 in top-of-table clash
  43. ^ Caen v. Lyon Match Report
  44. ^ Lyon v. Lorient Match Report
  45. ^ Grenoble v. Lyon Match Report
  46. ^ Lyon v. Saint-Etienne Match Report
  47. ^ Nice v. Lyon Match Report
  48. ^ Dates may change due to LFP scheduling structure
  49. ^ CHAMPIONNAT NATIONAL 18 ANS Classement
  50. ^ CHAMPIONNAT NATIONAL 18 ANS Phase2
  51. ^ CHAMPIONNAT NATIONAL 16 ANS Classement
  52. ^ CHAMPIONNAT NATIONAL 16 ANS Phase2 GROUPE 1
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