It’s been six years since OL last played in the Champions League. Despite the threat of an administrative demotion at the start of the season, the Lyonnais were able to come through a successful 2025-2026 financial year, with the key to a round of 16 in the Europa League but also and above all an unexpected fourth place in the league. A potentially qualifying rank for C1.
Yes, but now, to join the continental elite at the start of the next school year, Les Gones will have to go through two obstacles: the third preliminary round and the play-offs. Easier said than done when we know that only one L1 representative has managed to overcome these pitfalls in the last five years. Namely LOSC in 2024.
Forced to make their way via the league route, the Rhone residents will however enjoy top seed status. With the warm-up round an opponent within their reach a priori, but not to be neglected however. Fenerbahçe (2e of Türkiye), Sparta Prague (2e of the Czech Republic) and the NEC Nijmegen (3e of the Netherlands) are on the list of potential challengers to OL. Like the second of the Belgian elite which is likely to be the Union Saint-Gilloise, but also the Edinburgh club Heart of Midlothian (2e of Scotland), Sturm Graz (2e of Austria) and the second in the Polish championship, still uncertain to this day.
A hellish summer calendar
If Lyon emerges victorious from this first duel, the play-offs will naturally be even tougher. With Olympiakos possibly on the menu (2e of Greece), Bodo/Glimt, the Norwegian scarecrow who reached the round of 16 of C1 this season, or even Club Bruges if Union SG finally takes the lead in the title race in Belgium.
The other difficulty will of course lie in managing an extremely busy summer resumption schedule, with a third preliminary round to be negotiated from August 4-5 and 11. Facing an opponent who will be known from July 20. The play-offs will then be played on August 18-19 and 25-26. As a reminder, Ligue 1 will resume on Friday August 21.
