Eliminated by Bayern Munich in the semi-final of the Champions League on Wednesday night, Lyon falls from the top: after 17 years of continuous presence in the European Cup, Jean-Michel Aulas' club will not play next season or the League of champions, nor Europa League, for lack of final victory in Lisbon. This disappointment will have several consequences for the Rhone training in 2020-2021.
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In these conditions, it will be very difficult if not impossible to retain his jewels, including midfielder Houssem Aouar, as well as forwards Memphis Depay and Moussa Dembélé. The announcement was made by sports director Juninho: "There will be departures." Coach Rudi Garcia seems just as resigned: "We have a very, very good squad. We will see. If there are good economic opportunities for the club, I think the club will certainly seize them."
Beautiful promises with Caqueret and Cherki
Lyon will therefore not be able to live beyond its means, despite a budget of around 300 million euros and a check of around 70 million euros obtained after this fine career in the most prestigious of European competitions.
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But there is hope because, behind, the bottle-feeding class is already knocking on the adults' door. Maxence Caqueret 20 years old, is already much more than a promise and was sparkling in this "Final 8". Wednesday, at only 17 years old, the young Rayan Cherki, announced as the future Karim Benzema, pointed the tips of his crampons. In short, thanks to its excellent training, Lyon still has a bright future ahead, European Cup or not.