"We still believe in it, but it's complicated": before the Olympico, Lyon fans in doubt

Noémis Loiselle (correspondent in Lyon), edited by Gauthier Delomez / Photo credits: OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP 06:26, October 29, 2023

"We have our card to play, the match against Marseille can be a trigger," said a Lyon fan interviewed by Europe 1. Olympique Lyonnais face their rivals Marseille this Sunday evening at 20:45 p.m. in what is known as the 'Olympico', the clash of the Olympiques, at the end of the tenth matchday of Ligue 1. And the least we can say is that some Les Gones fans fear another bad result...

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"I'm not serene, it's going to be hard," one of them concedes. "We still believe in it, but it's complicated," adds another. It's indeed "complicated" because OL are not doing well. The club, seven times champion of France in the 2000s, is last in the standings with only three points won after nine rounds.

600 Lyon fans at the Vélodrome

And since the arrival of new coach Fabio Grosso, the Lyon players have not really woken up with three defeats and a draw in four matches. However, the fans are keen to be present, especially as 600 of them have been allowed to attend the match at the Stade Vélodrome. "It's far too easy to leave the boat when it starts to pitch. That's when you have to be there," the OL fan told Europe 1.

This other Lyon player also shows his enthusiasm ahead of the clash: "We'll be in the city, we'll support the club because we've always done it since we were very little, that's our role. We have to stay positive because we remain Olympique Lyonnais, one of the biggest clubs in France, and we will get our heads above water".

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"You lose that passion"

Since the departure of long-standing president Jean-Michel Aulas, the arrival of John Textor as the club's new president, and the changes of coaches, OL have suffered a series of defeats in the league. So, for some supporters, it's incomprehension and disappointment. "Before, we watched the games live or went to the stands. Today, I rather watch the replays of the actions," laments the Lyon fan.

"We're losing this passion, this rigor in going to matches and even watching the matches on TV," added another Les Gones supporter. "It's true that I'm investing less and less for this club unfortunately, it's sad," he said. Bottom of Ligue 1, OL could be relegated to Ligue 2 but the fans refuse to think about it for the moment.