Olympique Lyonnais Cafe

[guignol]

Source : Le républicain Lorrain (reprinted by Le Progrès)

" As Vice-presindent of the federation, I tend to think that the French championship is the most beautiful in the world. Above all, I think that Lyon is practically the only team that plays well with the ball, that goes forward, it's great to watch. I hope others will be inspired to do the same. It would be great to see more players who know how to pass. Moreover, you can't say that Ol is not popular or glamorous. In thirty years, today's kids will talk about Lyon the way those of my generation still talk about St. Etienne. It's certain that if scandal sells, Lyon is hard to sell. But should we prefer a guy who will end up in prison to a Jean-Michel Aulas who does his job right? As for Paul Le Guen, he could have taken advantage of his success to sign a big contract with Lyon. He didn't do it, feeling no doubt that he had come to the end of a cycle. That seems normal and perfectly respectable to me."

Michel Platini

[SportBoy333]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=334407&cc=5739

This says that Guy Lacombe has emerged as the favorite and he has impressed Aulas during interviews. Aulas could make his decision on Sunday morning. Aulas wants Puel but he is under contract at Lille. Houllier will not get the job because of his past health problems. Looks like Lacombe is the guy. Too bad because I thought Carlos Bianchi would be the best choice.

[Chien2p@ille]

Claude Puel Will come to lyon, it' Vahid Hallilodzic who will sign to Lille

[SportBoy333]

Puel is going to the Champions League with Lille he's not coming to Lyon. By the way Lyon drew 0-0 with Nice today its a shame no one could be bothered to post the result.

[fishbiproduct]

Listening to RMC:
they just announced that Houllier was OL's
new coach, it's a done deal.

Edit:
and confirmed by L'Equipe:
http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/20050529_171356Dev.html

"Houllier nouvel entraîneur

Le nouvel entraîneur de l'Olympique lyonnais est désormais connu. Il s'agit de Gérard Houllier, l'ancien coach du PSG, de Liverpool et ancien sélectionneur de l'équipe de France. Il a signé un contrat de deux ans, plus une année optionnelle en faveur de l'OL selon Jean-Michel Aulas, le président du club quadruple champion de France"

[SportBoy333]

Houllier may not be the best guy availble in terms of the on the pitch aspects however he does have what Aulas is looking for because he is a big name and well know coach outside of France which will help attract good players and media attention and he also has experience in the Champions League. Puel and Dechamps were not coming because they are with other teams and Guy Lacombe has no prestige or name recognition outside of France and he has no experience in the Champions League. I thought Bianchi would have been the best guy but I'll take Houllier second.

[Nanbawan]

I've just been warned about the great pain that is striking you so unfairly. Please, accept my full sympathy...



http://www.fleursgaudel.com/d001.jpg










:p

[ilv2]

lol houllier. vraiment une mauvaise decision.

ben, peut-etre on devrait lui donner une chance, cependant avec le succes recent de liverpool (sans Houllier) dans la ligue de champions...

[sl7vk]

lol houllier. vraiment une mauvaise decision.

ben, peut-etre on devrait lui donner une chance, cependant avec le succes recent de liverpool (sans Houllier) dans la ligue de champions...

I think everybody is taking this the wrong way. I actually think this is a good hire. Come on, Lacomb or Hollier? As for the Benitez comment above, let me remind you that Hollier won a UEFA Cup with Liverpool which isn't nothing, and he never failed to qualify them for the Champions League (which Benitez managed to do this year). I think he's got all the weapons he needs at his disposal, and since he won't be making the player personal decisions, then Lyon is fine. Houllier gets into trouble when clubs allow him to make transfer decisions, and that won't be the case here.
All in all, I think Lyon did well here.

[guignol]

houllier was far from my favorite choice, but he made a good first press conference, promised humility, and made a peaceheeping gesture to wiltord. there are lots of rumors in the trashy part of the french football press, but a couple of days will be necessary to see if his signing has any bad fallout; personally i don't think there will be.

[SportBoy333]

Lyon will keep playing the same style that they have been playing. They will not change and mold the team into Houllier's style. It wont happen. I'm sure the players will be reassured of that. I hope he can bring in Baros and Smicer with him. Michael Owen would be nice but that would be a long shot. I dont think Baros and Smicer would be that expensive.

[guignol]

in his first press conference GH said it was out of the queastion to change OL's style.

the only one of those three strikers i can see OL being interested in is baros. smicer too old, owen too overpriced.

[SportBoy333]

Yeah if he's not gonna change the style of play then I dont see what the problem is hiring him. He can attract big name players to come there. Figo, Pires,Trezeuguet

[guignol]

Olympique Lyonnais U-18 French Champions

With goals by Bettiol (41), Benzema (43 + 60) et Karamoko (77), OL's under 18 team became national champions, besting Nantes 4-1 in Avignon. the first two goals were served up on a silver platter by Ben Arfa after Nantes had opened the score on a free kick. After that it was all OL, and if not for Vernus' missed PK in the last minute, the score would have been even more lopsided.

Saturday june 4, they play Toulouse in the final of the Gambardella Cup in the Stade de France, as an opener to the Coupe de France final. A victory would mean an uinprecedented double in the two national U-18 trophies.

in further news:

OL's reserve team has clinched group B in the national amateur championship (CFA). Groupe A will be represented by Lille unless Auxerre can make up 3 points this weekend. Monaco has won group C, but for group D, Rennes, Bordeaux and Nantes are all still in it. The four team final phase will take place in Lyon on june 8 and 11.

the n° 3 women's team won the regional championship which would have qualified them for national D3, but they will stay in rhône-alpes as the n° 2 team is already in that division.

[SportBoy333]

It really seems like Houlllier wants Baros really bad. He's gonna watch him when he plays for the Czech Republic this weekend. Baros has said he's interested in playing for Houllier again despite interest from Valenica.

[guignol]

baros seems to me a long way from the big striker JMA has said he's after, but i'll reserve judgement; he did look very good for cz in 2004, and i don't think any striker could have looked very impressive playing at liverpool this year.

[sl7vk]

Baros is a total waste of space.

[Chien2p@ille]

Skysports.com can reveal that Chelsea are planning a double raid on French champions Lyon.

The Premiership champions are widely thought to be keen on signing Michael Essien and they are also interested in his midfield team-mate Mahamadou Diarra.

Diarra is one of several Lyon players who has attracted the interest of a host of clubs after a number of impressive performances at home and abroad for Lyon.

The Mali international enjoyed an impressive campaign at Lyon last term helping the club claim their fourth successive French title and make the quarter finals of the UEFA Champions League.

Chelsea have declared an interest in Diarra and are thought to be keen to take him and Essien from Stade Gerland.

Lyon are keen to keep Diarra with chairman Jean-Michel Aulas insistent they have no plans to sell any of their top stars.

Diarra's agent Frederic Guerra has admitted that Chelsea have made an enquiry for the player, but that Lyon rejected their overtures.

"Chelsea want to sign Mahamadou," Guerra told skysports.com.

"I believe they want to sign two players from Lyon - Mahamadou and (Michael) Essien

"I think they made a move for him last week, but the Lyon president turned it down.

"We are now waiting for another proposition from Spain, Italy or England."

[SportBoy333]

Skysports.com can reveal that Chelsea are planning a double raid on French champions Lyon.

The Premiership champions are widely thought to be keen on signing Michael Essien and they are also interested in his midfield team-mate Mahamadou Diarra.

Diarra is one of several Lyon players who has attracted the interest of a host of clubs after a number of impressive performances at home and abroad for Lyon.

The Mali international enjoyed an impressive campaign at Lyon last term helping the club claim their fourth successive French title and make the quarter finals of the UEFA Champions League.

Chelsea have declared an interest in Diarra and are thought to be keen to take him and Essien from Stade Gerland.

Lyon are keen to keep Diarra with chairman Jean-Michel Aulas insistent they have no plans to sell any of their top stars.

Diarra's agent Frederic Guerra has admitted that Chelsea have made an enquiry for the player, but that Lyon rejected their overtures.

"Chelsea want to sign Mahamadou," Guerra told skysports.com.

"I believe they want to sign two players from Lyon - Mahamadou and (Michael) Essien

"I think they made a move for him last week, but the Lyon president turned it down.

"We are now waiting for another proposition from Spain, Italy or England."

More English press/media BS. They have no respect for Lyon and what they are trying to do. They act like they are some small mickey mouse club. Sure Chelsea has more money than god but Lyon does not need the money from selling players. The only think that would make those players leave is if they bitched and whined to Aulas about wanting to leave and then he'd have to accomondate them.

[SportBoy333]

http://www.football365.fr/depeches/story_174539.shtml

Lyon: Houllier is interested in Baros and Chamakh
June 03, 2005 - 08. 39 -



The Olympic Lyonese wishes to recruit a size attacks some with the intersaison. The track of Milan Baros evoked for several days has been confirmed, Gerard Houllier contacted his old protected from Liverpool. Another track, that of Of Bordeaux Marouane Chamakh however declared untransferable by the Of Gironde ones.


Coveted by the FC Valence, Milan Baros (23 years) could take the way of Lyon. The arrival of Gerard Houllier in Lyon weighs in favour of Gones for this player made to Liverpool thanks to the old French national selector. Remain to negotiate the transfer for this player having registered nine goals in First League this season.

Another track under consideration in attack, that of Marouane Chamakh (21 years). The Moroccan international attacker of Bordeaux required to leave but its leaders want to preserve it. According to Progress's, Jean-Michel Aulas would have proposed the tidy sum of money of 18M€ in Bordeaux. Businesses to be followed...

D.M.