Olympique Lyonnais is plunged into a deep crisis at all levels. Can the Rhone club recover?
An 18th and last place in the rankings, a gap which is starting to widen, insufficient content, an isolated coach and a fractured locker room: the alarming signs are multiplying in the ranks of Olympique Lyonnais. Red lantern in Ligue 1, the Rhone club is experiencing the worst start to the season in its history. A few figures are enough to remind us of the urgency of the situation: Lyon has still not won a match after nine days. And 14 out of 17 teams with this total of points at this stage of the season were relegated at the end of the financial year.
In this context, how can the club recover? Vikash Dhorasoo believes that it is the technical staff and the players who hold the key “I don’t understand Grosso’s management of the entire squad. It’s up to him to transform now, we have to tighten the group. Textor’s communication is disconnected from what Grosso must do, it is Grosso who must save the club”explained the former French international, who worked for the Lyon club, on La Chaîne L’Equipe where he serves as a consultant.
Textor in denial
However, it is not certain that John Textor is of this opinion. After the meeting, the American businessman’s communication caught the attention of observers. Textor seems to want to go “all-in” in the winter transfer window to redress the situation. And falls into denial when we talk about relegation. “ My team is not in danger of relegation. We have the risk of having a mediocre season. Talking about relegation is good for your articles, to scare people, to fuel discussions, but it’s a joke“, he launched on Prime Video.
What is the message sent to potential recruits and selling clubs? By proclaiming his desire to invest this winter, John Textor has not made his task easier, especially since OL are in a very poor position to attract significant reinforcements with their last place in the standings. In the meantime, it is Fabio Grosso who will be on the OL bench for the clash against Marseille on Sunday evening.
