Lyon (AFP)

A coach to find, a workforce to reshape in a difficult financial context: after the incredible loss conceded at home against Nice (3-2), Sunday, Lyon, 4th in Ligue 1, is deprived for the second consecutive year in the League champions and enters a troubled period.

Of course, OL find Europe with the Europa League but in the wake of this disillusion, which will have repercussions on recruitment, Rudi Garcia announced his departure after a collaboration of a year and a half.

He arrived in October 2019 after Sylvinho's ouster.

Admittedly, he led the club in the semi-final of the C1 and in the final of the Coupe de la Ligue but failed to qualify OL at least in the Europa League in 2020 (7th), penalized by the premature end of the championship due to the health crisis, and this season in the Champions League.

"I can not continue to work and advance the club under these conditions. If the president has something to offer me, I will not be a candidate for my own succession," he said Sunday, evoking in hollow internal disagreements.

- Juninho in questions -

For the sporting director, Juninho, a former OL icon, the record is for the time being rather poor with two coaches in two years, the first of which, a Brazilian beginner in the profession, Sylvinho, whom he had chosen and who did not 'stayed only three months before being sacked.

And the appointment of the second, Garcia - which he rather suffered - had provoked the ire of the supporters who accompanied the technician throughout his stay in Lyon where he was never unanimous even internally.

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Some of the former playmaker's transfer window choices were regretted, such as the transfer to Nice of the striker trained at the club Amine Gouiri, excellent against Lyon on Sunday.

The commitments of Thiago Mendes, Jean Lucas, of the Brazilians, did not appear essential while hopes for Bruno Guimaraes quickly faded.

The absence in the Champions League added to the fiasco of the contract with Mediapro on the TV rights of Ligue 1, will accentuate the financial difficulties of the club which announced on May 13 a shortfall of 135 million euros out of the nine first months of the current financial year, down 44%.

And for the next one, the absence in the Champions League will also have a negative impact of 50 million EUR.

If OL want to see there the start of a "new cycle" and a "new ambitious project", according to a press release Monday, there are many projects.

In addition to the coach and technical support to be completely renewed - Christophe Galtier would be targeted but close to Nice, according to the press -, we must also find a replacement for Memphis Depay (20 goals, 12 assists this season), who leaves without transfer fee in exchange.

- Low-cost recruitment, lost soul -

Lyon can still hope to transfer Houssem Aouar but for much less than the 60 million EUR envisaged two years ago.

On the other hand, the club will sell Danish central defender Joachim Andersen (24), acquired for EUR 24 million who did not win at OL but which interests English clubs after a successful loan to Fulham.

To strengthen, Olympique Lyonnais, who could count on the return of Moussa Dembélé, loaned in January to Atlético Madrid where he played only 95 minutes, should therefore turn to loans with option to buy or players at the end of the contract.

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The goal will be to recruit smart, like twenty years ago, at the best value for money and above all at low cost.

But it will be, this time, difficult to rely on the young people of the training center who are not ready to be holders in the team, including Rayan Cherki (17 years).

Since the move from Gerland to Décines-Charpieu, the Academy has cut itself off from the professional sector: has the club penalized itself by losing, over the years, the family side and the complementarity of its components, which made its strength in the 2000s?

OL will quickly have to prove the contrary.

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