Olympique Lyonnais has probably said goodbye to a qualification in the Champions League this season. Defeated by RC Lens this Sunday (2-1), the Rhone club now occupies seventh place in Ligue 1 and no longer has its destiny in its hands.
While the victory against RC Lens was compulsory to stay in the race, the Lyonnais, who nevertheless dominated their opponent, failed to chain a second consecutive victory after that against Rennes (4-1) last week. Since the elimination of Gones in the quarterfinals of Europa League against Manchester United, nothing is going well for OL.
The Lyonnais, who dreamed of a coronation in C3 to qualify in the Champions League, must now finish in the Top 4 of the Ligue 1 ranking to tear a qualification in C1. But the mission promises to be difficult, even completely impossible, two days before the end.
The League conference rather than the Champions League for OL?
There is only one scenario that can allow OL to compete in the Champions League next season. All of its direct competitors would have to lose their next two matches. Which seems very unlikely. However, they could console themselves with a qualification in the Europa League or League conference. And this, in the event that Paris Saint-Germain won the French Cup, which would allow the seventh in Ligue 1 to qualify in the league conference dam.
And yet, a qualification in the Champions League is more than necessary for Lyonnais. Under the threat of an administrative demotion issued by the DNCG last November, OL had an accession to C1 to reimburse its debts. Without participation in the prestigious competition, President John Textor will have to find another solution in order to replenish the coffers of his club.
