The elimination of http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Olympique-Lyonnais-c40130 from the Champions League at the hands of APOEL Nicosia has generated a lot of disappointment from fans, officials and players.
On December 16, 2011, the entire European football already saw Olympique Lyonnais playing in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. The Rhone giants had been put against minnows from http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Cyprus-c2881 APOEL Nicosia who were not given a chance against a team that
has been an ever-present in the competition for the last 12 years.
However, last night’s result has been jaw dropping to say the least for fans and neutrals alike.
Les Gones official consider the recent ousting at the hands of Nicosia via penalties as “a nightmare”. Le Parisien effectively summed up the defeat by suggesting the Lyon have “hit the bottom” at the GSP Stadium.
This could also have been Lyon’s last Champions League game for at least a year considering their Ligue 1 standing.
After the match, coach Remi Garde, said a few things that certainly make a lot of sense.
“This defeat announced an end of a cycle? It’s a possibility. We will give every effort to ensure that this is not the end of the cycle in the Champions League.”
Lyon captain, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Cris-c9486, also raised a question about what the future now beholds for the club.
Bernard Lacombe has been hard on his players in recent weeks and the special advisor to Jean-Michel Aulas, has been measured in his remarks.
“Do not say that the situation is serious. We were eliminated from the Champions League. It is true that this is a great disappointment. But we must also think of other big clubs who were eliminated. This is football and that’s life.”
On Saturday, Lyon play against LOSC Lille and would head into this game without a win in their last four games. With their confidence at an all-time low in recent seasons, Lyon would be hard pressed to beat a side that is currently occupying the last Champions
League spot – something Lyon have been chasing all season.
The economic health of the club will also be questioned following the exit from the back door as the club’s future depends a lot on Europe’s most prestigious club competition.
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