Panasonic founder Konosuke Matsushita did not think in days or weeks. He was a pioneer of long-term thinking, famously announcing a 250-year plan for the company in the 1930s. Lyon could learn from Matsushita. After employing four coaches in two years, short-termism and indecision again plunged Lyon into chaos this week as sporting director and club legend Juninho Pernambucano announced his departure, citing mental fatigue. He was appointed as a quick fix to win over fans but, despite the successful signings of his fellow Brazilians Lucas Paquetá and Bruno Guimarães, his two and a half years at the club have been defined by perpetual crisis. Matsushita would not approve.
Under Juninho’s stewardship, Lyon have faded from Champions League regulars to disjointed mid-table strugglers via the misguided appointment of a novice head coach in Sylvinho, and a fractious relationship between the club and his successor Rudi Garcia. The hero’s glorious return ended in failure and disarray this week.
Compounding Juninho’s exit and their lowly league position, Lyon were docked a point after a hearing into the projectile-throwing incident last month that saw Marseille’s Dimitri Payet floored – for the second time this season. A bottle was hurled from the stands and the game was eventually abandoned. Forced to play two games behind closed doors, Lyon could lose over €4m in revenue, more than half their prize money from a productive Europa League campaign. The hearing descended into acrimony. There were no Marseille representatives at the proceedings, leading Marseille director of communications Jacques Cardoze to call it “a travesty of justice” and “illegitimate”.
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas defended his club with typical ferocity, saying of the security at the stadium: “What else could we have done?”. He explained the bottle thrower was “not a Lyon fan, is not in our database but, because we invested €400m in a stadium and we have 400 cameras, we were able to identify him straight away”. According to referee Ruddy Buquet’s report, however, Aulas added to the sense of disarray, telling Buquet “unfortunately [for you] I’m part of the [French Football Federation] executive committee, this won’t be the end of it” as the match was abandoned. Later, Aulas even called into a radio show and threatened a presenter with a lawsuit on-air amid questions over the game’s postponement.
Despite some freewheeling form in the Europa League, the pressure on coach Peter Bosz is mounting due to the team’s poor form in Ligue 1. Lyon are 13th in the table after a run of one win in their last five league games. When they were beaten by struggling Reims earlier this month, Bosz told his players: “It wasn’t the referee or the pitch – it’s us who were not good.” They lost that game in injury time, which has been a recurring theme this season. St-Étienne, PSG and Clermont have also denied Lyon results in injury time.
Famed for a high-intensity, gung-ho style, Bosz has been exposed by a series of efficient, physical and pragmatic teams this season. With zero defensive cohesion behind a midfield that is bypassed too easily, Lyon conceded 23 goals in their first 15 league games this season – their worst tally since 1982-83. The 1.44 points-per-game they have won under Bosz is their second-worst return this century; Garcia and Bruno Génésio, who were both sacked for failing to meet inflated expectations, achieved 1.91 points-per-game.
A cantankerous Garcia left in the summer after his contract expired and Lyon missed out on Champions League football despite competing for the title. Garcia’s predecessor, and Juninho’s first marquee hire, former Arsenal full-back Sylvinho, lasted just 11 games. Génésio, a Lyon-born fan with a long association with the club, was hounded out of the club in 2019 by fans who were frustrated by inconsistency. Despite being fiercely defended by Aulas, his contract extension was withdrawn after a shock defeat to Rennes in the semi-finals of the cup. Génésio, however, embarrassed his former club last month when his thrilling new Rennes side – built by former Lyon director of football Florian Maurice – obliterated Lyon 4-1.
The atmosphere among the players has been uneasy since August, when Lyon lost 3-0 to Angers and there was an altercation in the dressing room that saw veteran defender Marcelo exiled to the reserves. When asked about the mood at the club last week, Bosz said: “Of course, it’s better to ask the players, but I don’t see a problem in my dressing room.” Paquetá has been one of the standout performers in Ligue 1 this year but his attitude has been questioned lately after he was moved out of position and his performance levels dropped.
Bosz is being outmanoeuvred in the league yet it is difficult to work out his exact plan, or indeed what he thinks his best team is, or even who his best players are. Xherdan Shaqiri’s arrival from Liverpool was seen as an answer to the departure of talisman Memphis Depay but, before this week, he was left out for four straight games. Wayward in possession, seemingly unfit and unable to match his teammates’ rhythm, Shaqiri’s move may be fizzling out.
Paquetá and Houssem Aouar tend to take up similar positions and they have seemed uncomfortable in the same team this season, one often being moved into a less effective wider position. Forced into a holding role to accommodate Bruno Guimarães, the midfield hustle of Maxence Caqueret has been dampened. The teenage forward Rayan Cherki, who may be Lyon’s most exciting academy graduate ever, has impressed in fleeting substitute outings but he remains underused. Bosz switched to a back three against Lille on Sunday and the extra solidity helped them achieve a goalless draw, but they still needed goalkeeper Anthony Lopes to rescue them from Burak Yilmaz.
Hope remains, however. They started the weekend just five points off the top six and their emphatic displays in the Europa League show they can beat anyone on their day. Winning that competition is an achievable goal. Moussa Dembélé is a reliable goalscorer and his return from injury will also be a boon. However, with Juninho leaving, and 72-year-old Aulas less hands-on than before, appointing the right successor will be pivotal. The task will be finding stability and overcoming the rampant short-termism that’s led to their capitulation. They will not need to think as far ahead as Matsushita, but they will need a plan.
Talking points
With the group stages of all three European competitions complete, France lead Uefa’s coefficient ranking for this season. After some abject displays in recent years, all six French representatives remain alive after Christmas. Although Marseille were saved by dropping into the Conference League, Monaco, Lyon, Rennes and Lille all won their groups. France has won just two European club trophies – Marseille in 1992 and PSG in 1996 – but, with Rennes in devastating form, Lyon entering the Europa League as the highest ranked team and PSG boasting the world’s best front three, winning all three trophies this season is a realistic goal for Ligue 1.
Lorient dropped into the bottom two this weekend after a demoralising 4-1 defeat at fellow relegation strugglers Metz, who moved above them in the table. After finishing last season superbly, Christophe Pellisier’s side have deteriorated of late. Their top scorer last season, Terem Moffi, has not found the net since September, the month in which Lorient last won a game. They have now lost seven in a row. President Loïc Fery said this week that Pellisier was not under pressure, but something needs to change as relegation looms.