Olympique Lyonnais season 2008-09
Encyclopedia
Olympique Lyonnais
Season 2008–09
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....

Manager    Claude Puel
Claude Puel
Claude Puel is a French football manager and former player. He spent 17 years playing for AS Monaco.-Managerial career:...

Chairman    Jean-Michel Aulas
Jean-Michel Aulas
Jean-Michel Aulas is a French businessman. He is the founder and CEO of CEGID and serves as the owner and chairman of French football club Olympique Lyonnais whom he has owned since 1987. Aulas has also expanded his branch of football knowledge through Europe...

Current league position
Ligue 1 2008-09
The 2008–09 Ligue 1 season was the 71st since its establishment. Bordeaux became champions for the sixth time on the last weekend of the season. The fixtures were announced on 23 May 2008. The season began on 9 August 2008 and ended on 30 May 2009...

 
3rd
Ligue 1 2008-09
The 2008–09 Ligue 1 season was the 71st since its establishment. Bordeaux became champions for the sixth time on the last weekend of the season. The fixtures were announced on 23 May 2008. The season began on 9 August 2008 and ended on 30 May 2009...

Trophée des Champions
Trophée des champions
The Trophée des champions , is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the Super Cups found in many countries...

 
Eliminated
2008 Trophée des Champions
The 2008 Trophée des Champions Final was a football match that saw the 2007-08 Ligue 1 and Coupe de France champions Olympique Lyonnais face off against FC Girondins de Bordeaux. Since Lyon won both the league and the Coupe de France, they faced the club that finished in second place in Ligue 1...

Coupe de la Ligue  Eliminated
Coupe de France
Coupe de France 2008-09
The 2008–09 Coupe de France was the ninety-second season of the French most prestigious cup competition and was open to all clubs in French football, as well as 7 teams from overseas departments and territories...

 
Eliminated
UEFA Champions League  Eliminated
UEFA Champions League 2008–09 knockout stage
The knockout stage of the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League began on 24 February 2009 and concluded with the final at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on 27 May 2009...

League Top Goalscorer Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 (17)
Season Top Goalscorer Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 (23)
Highest Home Attendance 40,245 vs Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...

 (11 April 2009)
Lowest Home Attendance 23,053 vs Metz
FC Metz
Football Club de Metz, commonly referred to as simply Metz , is a French association football club based in Metz. The club was formed in 1932 and has spent most of its history in the Ligue 1, though they currently play in Ligue 2, the second level in French football league system. Metz plays its...

 (11 November 2008)
Previous season
2007–08
Olympique Lyonnais season 2007-08
The 2007–08 season was Olympique Lyonnaiss 49th season in Ligue 1 and their 19th consecutive season in the top division of French football...

Next season
2009–10
Olympique Lyonnais season 2009–10
The 2009–10 season was French football club Olympique Lyonnais's 51st season inLigue 1 and was their 21st consecutive season in the top division of French football. For the first time in seven years, Lyon entered the football season without defending the Ligue 1 title. They were overthrown by...


The 2008–09 season was Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...

's 50th anniversary season in
Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....

 and was their 20th consecutive season in the top division of French football
Football in France
Football is the most popular sport in France. The Fédération Française de Football is the national governing bodyand is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of association football in the country, both professional and amateur...

. They were the defending champions having won the title the past seven consecutive seasons. They were entering the season after achieving their first ever double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...

 after winning the Coupe de France
Coupe de France Final 2008
The 2008 Coupe de France Final was a football match that was held at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France on 24 May 2008. It was the 90th final in the Coupe de France's history. The final was contested between Paris Saint-Germain FC and Olympique Lyonnais...

, along with their league title.

News

Following the season
Olympique Lyonnais season 2007-08
The 2007–08 season was Olympique Lyonnaiss 49th season in Ligue 1 and their 19th consecutive season in the top division of French football...

, it was announced by Lyon chairman Jean-Michel Aulas
Jean-Michel Aulas
Jean-Michel Aulas is a French businessman. He is the founder and CEO of CEGID and serves as the owner and chairman of French football club Olympique Lyonnais whom he has owned since 1987. Aulas has also expanded his branch of football knowledge through Europe...

 that manager Alain Perrin would not be returning despite being the first Lyon manager to win the double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...

. Lyon management attributed the firing to "Perrin's several malfunctions that affected the squad daily throughout the season" and their constant failure in Europe. Following an extensive search, which linked the Lyon managerial position to several managers, including former Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

 assistant and current Portugal national football team
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...

 coach Carlos Queiroz
Carlos Queiroz
Carlos Manuel Brito Leal Queiroz ComIH is a Portuguese football manager. He is currently the manager of the Iran national football team. A former manager of Real Madrid, and Portugal national football team, he has also twice been Alex Ferguson's assistant manager at English club Manchester...

, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

ian manager Vanderlei Luxemburgo
Vanderlei Luxemburgo
Vanderlei Luxemburgo da Silva , better known as Vanderlei Luxemburgo, is a Brazilian football manager and former football player. He holds the distinction of being the most successful manager in the history of Brazil's Série A, with 5 league titles...

, and former French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 players and managers Didier Deschamps
Didier Deschamps
Didier Claude Deschamps is a retired French footballer and current manager of Marseille. He played as a defensive midfielder. As an international, he assisted France with victories in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000...

 and Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc
Laurent Robert Blanc is a French association football manager and former player. He is the head coach of the French national team, having replaced Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was previously the manager of Bordeaux...

 to name a few, it was announced on June 18, 2008 that Lille OSC
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...

 manager Claude Puel
Claude Puel
Claude Puel is a French football manager and former player. He spent 17 years playing for AS Monaco.-Managerial career:...

 would succeed Perrin.

With the managerial search going on, Lyon made several transfers. However, before the managerial search even began, Lyon made a big transfer, signing Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

ian midfielder Ederson
Ederson Honorato Campos
Ederson Honorato Campos , more commonly known as Ederson, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais as a midfielder.-Early career:...

 from OGC Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...

 in January for €15m. The summer transfers included Hugo Lloris
Hugo Lloris
Hugo Lloris is a French international footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for French club Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1. He is also a French international and is currently the first-choice goalkeeper and vice-captain for both club and country...

 (€8.5m) who was brought in to replace to outgoing Grégory Coupet
Grégory Coupet
Grégory Coupet is a retired French association football goalkeeper who last played for Paris Saint-Germain. He has played for clubs such as Saint-Étienne, Lyon, Atlético Madrid. He has also played for the France national team....

, Miralem Pjanić
Miralem Pjanic
Miralem Pjanić is a Bosnian football player who plays for Italian club Roma in Serie A. He plays as an attacking midfielder and has been described as an "old-fashioned playmaker with huge technical qualities"....

 (€7.5m), Jean II Makoun (€14m), and John Mensah
John Mensah
John Mensah is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a defender for French club Lyon in Ligue 1, although he spent the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 seasons on loan at English club Sunderland in the Premier League...

 (€8.4m), who was brought in to replace to outgoing Sébastien Squillaci
Sébastien Squillaci
Sébastien Squillaci is a French international footballer who plays for Arsenal. He plays as a central defender and is described as a player who "reads the game well" and is "strong in the air and on the ground"...

.

Following last year promotions of youth players Sandy Paillot
Sandy Paillot
Sandy Paillot is a French footballer currently playing for Grenoble in Ligue 1. His primary position on the pitch is defender.-Club career:...

, Anthony Mounier
Anthony Mounier
Anthony Mounier is a French footballer who currently plays for Nice in Ligue 1. He primarily plays as a left-side winger.-Career:...

, and Romain Beynié
Romain Beynié
Romain Beynié is a French midfielder currently playing for FC Gueugnon.-Career:* 1993-2001 : Football Club de L'Arbresle* 2001-Jan.2010 : Olympique lyonnais* 2008-2009 : AFC Tubize * Since Jan.2010 : FC Gueugnon...

 from the youth scheme to the professional squad, Lyon signed another set of youth players to professional contracts. Midfielders Pierrick Valdivia (no relation to Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

an playmaker Jorge Valdivia
Jorge Valdivia
Jorge Luis Valdivia Toro is a Chilean professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for the Brazilian Série A club Palmeiras and the Chilean national team....

), Clément Grenier and Saïd Mehamha, and striker Yannis Tafer were promoted to the first-team squad, although they will still play on Lyon's second squad in the CFA
Championnat de France Amateurs
The Championnat de France amateur, commonly referred to as simply CFA and formerly known as National 2, is a football league competition. The league serves as the fourth division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1, Ligue 2, and the Championnat National...

. Lyon also sign young prospect Timothée Kolodziejczak
Timothée Kolodziejczak
Timothée Kolodziejczak is a French football player who currently plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1. He plays on the left side and can alternate between the left back and winger positions. Kolodziejczak is a French youth international and has competed at levels...

 from Lens
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...

. Timothée, who is a teammate of Tafer and Grenier on the international stage, will initially move to Lyon on a loan with a purchase clause likely to occur at a later date. Also in an effort to increase their youths playing time, they re-loaned Sandy Paillot to Grenoble
Grenoble Foot 38
Grenoble Foot 38, commonly referred to as simply Grenoble, is a French association football club based in Grenoble, a city situated at the foot of the French Alps. The original incarnation of the club was founded in 1892 and, in 1997, was formed into the club that exists today as a result of a merger...

 for the entire season and loaned out midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

 Romain Beynié to Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 side A.F.C. Tubize
A.F.C. Tubize
Association Football Clubs Tubize, also known as A.F.C. Tubize is a Belgian football club located in the city of Tubize. The club last promoted to the first division in 2008. The club was founded in 1989 as the result of a merger of two clubs, F.C...

.

Notable departures include Loïc Rémy
Loïc Rémy
Loïc Rémy is a French international footballer who plays for French club Marseille in Ligue 1. Rémy primarily plays in the lead striker role, but also operates on the wings and as a second striker...

, who moved to OGC Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...

 and French wunderkind Hatem Ben Arfa
Hatem Ben Arfa
Hatem Ben Arfa is a French association football player who plays for English club Newcastle United in the Premier League. He plays as a winger, preferably on the left side, and an attacking midfielder...

, who moved to rivals Olympique Marseille. The Ben Arfa move was put into speculation after Lyon officials argued that an agreement wasn't made between the two clubs. However, after a meeting between the two clubs, organized by the LFP
Ligue de Football Professionnel
The Ligue de Football Professionnel , commonly known as the LFP, is a French governing body that runs the major professional football leagues in France. It was founded in 1944 and serves under the authority of the French Football Federation...

, the transfer was back on. While the aforementioned central defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

 Sébastien Squillaci moved to Sevilla FC
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...

 of La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...

.

Other departures include Grégory Coupet, who moved to Atlético Madrid, after spending 12 years with the club, Patrick Müller
Patrick Müller
Patrick Müller is a Swiss professional footballer who currently is a Free Agent after ending his contract with Monaco.-Club career:...

 and Frédéric Roux
Frédéric Roux
Frédéric Roux is a French goalkeeper who is currently a free agent.His previous clubs include AS Nancy Lorraine, LB Chateauroux, FC Girondins de Bordeaux, where he won the Coupe de la Ligue in 2002, and AC Ajaccio....

, whose contracts expired on June 30, 2008, and Marc Crosas
Marc Crosas
Marc Crosas Luque is a Spanish footballer who currently plays as a central midfielder for Volga.-Early life:Born in Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Girona, Catalonia, Crosas came through the ranks at La Liga club FC Barcelona and signed a five-year contract in 2006.-Barcelona:On 7 November 2007, Crosas...

, who returned to Barcelona after spending the winter on loan with Lyon. While the inconsistent striker Milan Baroš
Milan Baroš
Milan Baroš is a Czech footballer who plays as a striker for Galatasaray and the Czech national football team.In the 2008–09 season, Baroš scored 20 goals in Turkish Süper Lig, the highest total in the league...

 moved to Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

 side Galatasaray S.K.
Galatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....

.

This summer also saw the departure of several Olympique Lyonnais youth players who will attempt to ply their trade elsewhere. Lossémy Karaboué
Lossémy Karaboué
Lossémy Karaboué is a French footballer currently playing for French side Nancy . He is originally from Burkina Faso.-Club career:...

, Alexandre Bouchard, and Aurélien Badin have moved to Ligue 2
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...

 sides CS Sedan
CS Sedan Ardennes
Club Sportif Sedan Ardennes, commonly referred to as CS Sedan or simply Sedan , is a French association football club based in Sedan. The club was formed in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second level of French football. Sedan plays its home matches at the Stade Louis Dugauguez located...

, LB Châteauroux
LB Châteauroux
La Berrichonne de Châteauroux is a French association football club based in Châteauroux. The football team is a part of a sports club that consists of several other sports and was founded in 1883. The team currently plays in Ligue 2, the second division of French football, having finished 16th in...

, and Troyes AC
Troyes AC
Espérance Sportive Troyes Aube Champagne is a French association football club, based in Troyes. It was founded in 1900. The club was promoted to Ligue 1 for the 2005–06 season and their first Ligue 1 season was in 1954/55, and their second spell came in 1999/2000 Espérance Sportive Troyes Aube...

, respectively. The Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 Francesco Migliore
Francesco Migliore
Francesco Bob Rose Migliore is an Italian football player currently playing for Crotone.-Football career:Migliore began his career in Cavaglià before moving to France to play for French champions Olympique Lyonnais. He primarily played on Lyon's CFA...

 moved to Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 side R.A.E.C. Mons
R.A.E.C. Mons
R.A.E.C. Mons is a Belgian football club based in Mons, Belgium. The team was promoted to the Belgian Jupiler League recently on 29 May 2011 after beating Waasland-Beveren in a "Winner-Take-All" Test match of the Final Tour of the Belgian second division and has Re-Joined the Top Belgian League...

. The young striker Stephen Ettien
Stephen Ettien
Stephen Ettien is a French professional football player of Ivorian descent. He currently plays for Terrassa FC following his release from Scottish Premier League side Hamilton Academical.-Career:...

 move to Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

 side Hamilton Academical F.C.
Hamilton Academical F.C.
Hamilton Academical Football Club, often known as Hamilton Academical, or Accies, are a Scottish football club from Hamilton in South Lanarkshire. They were established in 1874 from the school football team at Hamilton Academy. They remain the only professional club in British football to have...

, while Mohamed Bedda and Mickael Charvet
Mickael Charvet
Mickaël Charvet is a French footballer currently playing for AC Ajaccio. His primary position is at centre back.-Career:...

 earned trials at RC Strasbourg
RC Strasbourg
Racing Club de Strasbourg is a French association football club founded in 1906 and professional since 1933, based in the city of Strasbourg, in Alsace...

 and OGC Nice, respectively.

Summer 2008 In

Date Pos. No. Name From Fee Source
2008-01-29 MF 7   Ederson
Ederson Honorato Campos
Ederson Honorato Campos , more commonly known as Ederson, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais as a midfielder.-Early career:...

  Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...

Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

15M
Eurosport.uk
2008-05-15 FW 34   Yannis Tafer Promoted from Reserves Boursica.com
2008-05-15 MF 22   Clément Grenier Promoted from Reserves Boursica.com
2008-05-17 DF 15   Sandy Paillot
Sandy Paillot
Sandy Paillot is a French footballer currently playing for Grenoble in Ligue 1. His primary position on the pitch is defender.-Club career:...

  Grenoble
Grenoble Foot 38
Grenoble Foot 38, commonly referred to as simply Grenoble, is a French association football club based in Grenoble, a city situated at the foot of the French Alps. The original incarnation of the club was founded in 1892 and, in 1997, was formed into the club that exists today as a result of a merger...

return from loan
2008-06-02 GK 1   Hugo Lloris
Hugo Lloris
Hugo Lloris is a French international footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for French club Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1. He is also a French international and is currently the first-choice goalkeeper and vice-captain for both club and country...

  Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...

€8.5m OLweb.fr
2008-06-05 MF 13   Pierrick Valdivia Promoted from Reserves Mercato365.com
2008-06-06 MF 18   Miralem Pjanić
Miralem Pjanic
Miralem Pjanić is a Bosnian football player who plays for Italian club Roma in Serie A. He plays as an attacking midfielder and has been described as an "old-fashioned playmaker with huge technical qualities"....

  Metz
FC Metz
Football Club de Metz, commonly referred to as simply Metz , is a French association football club based in Metz. The club was formed in 1932 and has spent most of its history in the Ligue 1, though they currently play in Ligue 2, the second level in French football league system. Metz plays its...

Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

7.5M
OLweb.fr
2008-06-17 MF 17   Jean II Makoun   Lille
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...

Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

14M
OLweb.fr
2008-07-01 MF 31   Saïd Mehamha Promoted from Reserves Mercato365.com
2008-07-09 MF 26   Fábio Santos
Fábio dos Santos Barbosa
Fábio dos Santos Barbosa is a former Brazilian footballer.- Career :Fábio dos Santos stated his career at Sao Paulo state.Fábio dos Santos signed by Lyon in January 2007 from Cruzeiro....

  São Paulo return from loan
2008-07-27 ST 21   Milan Baroš
Milan Baroš
Milan Baroš is a Czech footballer who plays as a striker for Galatasaray and the Czech national football team.In the 2008–09 season, Baroš scored 20 goals in Turkish Süper Lig, the highest total in the league...

  Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

return from loan
2008-07-21 DF 15   John Mensah
John Mensah
John Mensah is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays as a defender for French club Lyon in Ligue 1, although he spent the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 seasons on loan at English club Sunderland in the Premier League...

  Rennes
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

8.4M
OLweb.fr
2008-07-31 FW 39   Frédéric Piquionne
Frédéric Piquionne
Frédéric Piquionne is a French football player who plays as a forward for West Ham United. His former clubs are Golden Star of Martinique, Nîmes Olympique, Rennes, AS Saint-Etienne, AS Monaco, Lyon and Portsmouth...

  Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...

Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

4.5M
OLweb.fr
2008-08-21 DF 12   Timothée Kolodziejczak
Timothée Kolodziejczak
Timothée Kolodziejczak is a French football player who currently plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1. He plays on the left side and can alternate between the left back and winger positions. Kolodziejczak is a French youth international and has competed at levels...

  Lens
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...

On loan OLweb.fr


Total spending: €57.9 million

Summer 2008 out

Date Pos. No. Name To Fee Source
2008-05-26 MF --   Mohamed Bedda   Strasbourg
RC Strasbourg
Racing Club de Strasbourg is a French association football club founded in 1906 and professional since 1933, based in the city of Strasbourg, in Alsace...

On trial RacingStub.com
2008-06-02 FW 44   Lossémy Karaboué
Lossémy Karaboué
Lossémy Karaboué is a French footballer currently playing for French side Nancy . He is originally from Burkina Faso.-Club career:...

  Sedan
CS Sedan Ardennes
Club Sportif Sedan Ardennes, commonly referred to as CS Sedan or simply Sedan , is a French association football club based in Sedan. The club was formed in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second level of French football. Sedan plays its home matches at the Stade Louis Dugauguez located...

Free transfer Mercato365.com
2008-06-05 FW 12   Loïc Rémy
Loïc Rémy
Loïc Rémy is a French international footballer who plays for French club Marseille in Ligue 1. Rémy primarily plays in the lead striker role, but also operates on the wings and as a second striker...

  Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...

Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

8M
Mercato365.com
2008-06-24 GK --   Alexandre Bouchard
Alexandre Bouchard
Alexandre Bouchard is a French professional football player.-External links:*...

  Châteauroux
LB Châteauroux
La Berrichonne de Châteauroux is a French association football club based in Châteauroux. The football team is a part of a sports club that consists of several other sports and was founded in 1883. The team currently plays in Ligue 2, the second division of French football, having finished 16th in...

Free transfer Football365.fr
2008-06-24 DF 36   Aurélien Badin   Troyes
Troyes AC
Espérance Sportive Troyes Aube Champagne is a French association football club, based in Troyes. It was founded in 1900. The club was promoted to Ligue 1 for the 2005–06 season and their first Ligue 1 season was in 1954/55, and their second spell came in 1999/2000 Espérance Sportive Troyes Aube...

Free transfer Mercato365.com
2008-06-30 GK 35   Frédéric Roux
Frédéric Roux
Frédéric Roux is a French goalkeeper who is currently a free agent.His previous clubs include AS Nancy Lorraine, LB Chateauroux, FC Girondins de Bordeaux, where he won the Coupe de la Ligue in 2002, and AC Ajaccio....

TBA End of contract
2008-06-30 DF 4   Patrick Müller
Patrick Müller
Patrick Müller is a Swiss professional footballer who currently is a Free Agent after ending his contract with Monaco.-Club career:...

  Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...

Free transfer Setanta.com
2008-06-30 MF 21   Marc Crosas
Marc Crosas
Marc Crosas Luque is a Spanish footballer who currently plays as a central midfielder for Volga.-Early life:Born in Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Girona, Catalonia, Crosas came through the ranks at La Liga club FC Barcelona and signed a five-year contract in 2006.-Barcelona:On 7 November 2007, Crosas...

  Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

loan return
2008-07-01 MF 18   Hatem Ben Arfa
Hatem Ben Arfa
Hatem Ben Arfa is a French association football player who plays for English club Newcastle United in the Premier League. He plays as a winger, preferably on the left side, and an attacking midfielder...

  Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...

Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

12M
Mercato365.com
2008-07-05 GK 1   Grégory Coupet
Grégory Coupet
Grégory Coupet is a retired French association football goalkeeper who last played for Paris Saint-Germain. He has played for clubs such as Saint-Étienne, Lyon, Atlético Madrid. He has also played for the France national team....

  Atlético Madrid
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

1.5M
Soccerway.com
2008-07-14 DF 47   Francesco Migliore
Francesco Migliore
Francesco Bob Rose Migliore is an Italian football player currently playing for Crotone.-Football career:Migliore began his career in Cavaglià before moving to France to play for French champions Olympique Lyonnais. He primarily played on Lyon's CFA...

  Mons
R.A.E.C. Mons
R.A.E.C. Mons is a Belgian football club based in Mons, Belgium. The team was promoted to the Belgian Jupiler League recently on 29 May 2011 after beating Waasland-Beveren in a "Winner-Take-All" Test match of the Final Tour of the Belgian second division and has Re-Joined the Top Belgian League...

Free transfer LyonCapitale.fr
2008-07-15 DF 22   Anderson
Anderson Cléber Beraldo
Anderson Cléber Beraldo , commonly known as Anderson, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays for América Mineiro.-Corinthians:...

  São Paulo loan SkySports.com
2008-07-17 DF 29   Sébastien Squillaci
Sébastien Squillaci
Sébastien Squillaci is a French international footballer who plays for Arsenal. He plays as a central defender and is described as a player who "reads the game well" and is "strong in the air and on the ground"...

  Sevilla
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...

Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

6.5M
UEFA.com
2008-08-20 DF 15   Sandy Paillot
Sandy Paillot
Sandy Paillot is a French footballer currently playing for Grenoble in Ligue 1. His primary position on the pitch is defender.-Club career:...

  Grenoble
Grenoble Foot 38
Grenoble Foot 38, commonly referred to as simply Grenoble, is a French association football club based in Grenoble, a city situated at the foot of the French Alps. The original incarnation of the club was founded in 1892 and, in 1997, was formed into the club that exists today as a result of a merger...

On loan Mercato365.com
2008-08-21 MF 24   Romain Beynié
Romain Beynié
Romain Beynié is a French midfielder currently playing for FC Gueugnon.-Career:* 1993-2001 : Football Club de L'Arbresle* 2001-Jan.2010 : Olympique lyonnais* 2008-2009 : AFC Tubize * Since Jan.2010 : FC Gueugnon...

  A.F.C. Tubize
A.F.C. Tubize
Association Football Clubs Tubize, also known as A.F.C. Tubize is a Belgian football club located in the city of Tubize. The club last promoted to the first division in 2008. The club was founded in 1989 as the result of a merger of two clubs, F.C...

On loan Mercato365.com
2008-08-26 FW 21   Milan Baroš
Milan Baroš
Milan Baroš is a Czech footballer who plays as a striker for Galatasaray and the Czech national football team.In the 2008–09 season, Baroš scored 20 goals in Turkish Süper Lig, the highest total in the league...

  Galatasaray
Galatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....

Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

5.5M
Galatasaray.org
2008-08-30 FW --   Stephen Ettien
Stephen Ettien
Stephen Ettien is a French professional football player of Ivorian descent. He currently plays for Terrassa FC following his release from Scottish Premier League side Hamilton Academical.-Career:...

  Hamilton Academical Free transfer AcciesFC.co.uk


Total income:
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

33.5 million

Winter 2009 out

Date Pos. No. Name To Fee Source
2009-01-23 DF 22   Anderson
Anderson Cléber Beraldo
Anderson Cléber Beraldo , commonly known as Anderson, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays for América Mineiro.-Corinthians:...

  Cruzeiro
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...

Loan Mercato365.com
2009-01-31 DF 33   Mickaël Charvet
Mickael Charvet
Mickaël Charvet is a French footballer currently playing for AC Ajaccio. His primary position is at centre back.-Career:...

  Ajaccio
AC Ajaccio
Athletic Club Ajaccio is a French association football club based in the city of Ajaccio on the island of Corsica. The club was founded in 1910 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, having finished 2nd in the 2010–11 campaign in Ligue 2. The club president is Alain...

Free transfer Mercato365.fr
2009-03-01 FW 9   Fred
Frederico Chaves Guedes
Frederico Chaves Guedes, nicknamed Fred , is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a striker for Brazilian club Fluminense....

  Fluminense
Fluminense Football Club
Fluminense Football Club is a sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Founded in the beginning of the 20th century as a single-sport institution, Fluminense is today an umbrella organization for several teams in more than 16 different sport activities. The most popular endeavor of Fluminense,...

Free SkySports.com

Squad information

Last updated May 30, 2009


Coaching staff


Other information

Team kits

Umbro
Umbro
Umbro is an English sportswear and football equipment supplier based in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, England. The company is now part of Nike. Umbro designs, sources, and markets sport-related apparel, footwear, and equipment...

 will provide the kits for Olympique Lyonnais. Umbro have been the official kit provider of Lyon since 2003 and just last year signed an extension with Lyon until 2013. This season, Lyon will have brand new home, away, and Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...

 kits. The kits were presented on June 30, 2008. The new home kit is original white with the red and blue vertical strip, along with single blue stripes along the shoulders. The new away kit is all blue with single black stripes along the shoulders and the new Champions League away kit is electric yellow with the red and blue vertical stripe, along with single red and blue stripes on the shoulders. The team's alternate away kit consists of the home shirt with red shorts and white socks. It is only worn when Lyon are unable to wear their white shorts in an away tie due to the designated home team wearing white shorts.

Pre-season friendlies

Lyon played a total of 6 friendly matches. Lyon opened up their pre-season on July 12 with a 3-2 victory over Nîmes Olympique
Nîmes Olympique
Nîmes Olympique is a French association football club based in Nîmes. The club was formed on 10 April 1937 and currently play in Championnat National, the third level of French football. The club's only achievement was winning Ligue 2 in 1950 and the Championnat National in 1997...

 in Albertville
Albertville
Albertville is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The town is best known for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics.-Geography:...

, which is near Tignes
Tignes
Tignes is a commune in the Tarentaise Valley, Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is also a ski resort near Val d'Isère, that are linked together as the "Espace Killy" region...

, the location of Lyon's pre-season camp. A week later, on July 19, they traveled away to Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....

 to face FC Rapid Bucureşti of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

, which resulted in a 1-2 loss. They then took a trip to Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...

 to play against FK Partizan
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...

 of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...

 on July 23. Lyon came out with a positive result beating the Serbian side 3-1 with goals from Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 and Sidney Govou
Sidney Govou
Sidney Rodrigue Noukpo Govou is a French international footballer of Beninese descent who currently plays for Évian Thonon Gaillard FC. Govou is a naturally attacking player but rarely plays as a striker, he is more commonly deployed as a winger. His main attribute is his pace...

. They followed that victory up with another as they cruised to a 3-0 victory over Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....

 side AS Nancy
AS Nancy
Association Sportive Nancy-Lorraine is a French association football club based in Nancy. The club was founded in 1967 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Nancy plays its home matches at the Stade Marcel Picot in Tomblaine, a commune located in the Arrondissement of...

 in nearby Villefranche-sur-Saône
Villefranche-sur-Saône
Villefranche-sur-Saône is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.It lies 1 mile west of the Saône River, and is around north of Lyon...

. Their last friendly in the month of July would in turn be a 0-1 defeat to AS Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...

 on July 29 in Annecy
Annecy
Annecy is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy , 35 kilometres south of Geneva.-Administration:...

. Their final friendly match was the annual Trophée des Champions
2008 Trophée des Champions
The 2008 Trophée des Champions Final was a football match that saw the 2007-08 Ligue 1 and Coupe de France champions Olympique Lyonnais face off against FC Girondins de Bordeaux. Since Lyon won both the league and the Coupe de France, they faced the club that finished in second place in Ligue 1...

 match. Since Lyon won both the league and the Coupe de France
Coupe de France
The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...

, they faced the club that finished in second place in Ligue 1 this past season, which was Bordeaux
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....

. The match was played on August 2, 2008 at Bordeaux's home, the Stade Chaban-Delmas
Stade Chaban-Delmas
Stade Chaban-Delmas is a sporting stadium located in the city of Bordeaux, France. It is the home ground of FC Girondins de Bordeaux.Until 2001, the stadium's name was the Stade du Parc Lescure...

. After 90 minutes of no goals, Bordeaux defeated Lyon 5-4 on penalties to earn their first Trophée des Champions
Trophée des champions
The Trophée des champions , is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the Super Cups found in many countries...

 title and thus ended Lyon's streak of six straight Trophée des Champions titles.
Date Opponents H / A Result Scorers Attendance
July 12, 2008   Nîmes Olympique
Nîmes Olympique
Nîmes Olympique is a French association football club based in Nîmes. The club was formed on 10 April 1937 and currently play in Championnat National, the third level of French football. The club's only achievement was winning Ligue 2 in 1950 and the Championnat National in 1997...

H
Albertville
Albertville is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The town is best known for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics.-Geography:...

3 – 2 Juninho
Juninho Pernambucano
Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr. , commonly known as Juninho or Juninho Pernambucano, is a Brazilian footballer and dead-ball specialist, currently playing as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A club CR Vasco da Gama. He is considered to be one of the greatest free kick takers of all time...

 , Tafer
Yannis Tafer
Yannis Tafer is a French football player of Algerian descent who currently plays for French club Lyon in Ligue 1. He is a France youth international having represented the country under-17, under-18, and under-19 level...

 , Mounier
Anthony Mounier
Anthony Mounier is a French footballer who currently plays for Nice in Ligue 1. He primarily plays as a left-side winger.-Career:...

 
July 19, 2008   FC Rapid Bucureşti A
Giulesti Stadium
Giuleşti-Valentin Stănescu Stadium is a football stadium in Bucharest, Romania and is the home stadium of Rapid Bucureşti.The stadium is named after Valentin Stănescu, the coach that helped Rapid to win its first title, but it is still commonly known as the "Giuleşti Stadium", after the name of the...

1 – 2 Tafer
Yannis Tafer
Yannis Tafer is a French football player of Algerian descent who currently plays for French club Lyon in Ligue 1. He is a France youth international having represented the country under-17, under-18, and under-19 level...

 
July 23, 2008   FK Partizan
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...

A
Partizan Stadium
Partizan Stadium is a football and track-and-field stadium in Belgrade, Serbia, owned by FK Partizan. It carried the name JNA Stadium for a long time and was the site of Youth Day parade. Even today, the majority of football fans in all countries of the former Yugoslavia call it by its old name....

3 – 1 Sikimić
Milovan Sikimic
Milovan Sikimić is a Serbian football defender who plays for Apollon Limassol FC.-Club career:...

  (OG
Own goal
An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....

), Govou
Sidney Govou
Sidney Rodrigue Noukpo Govou is a French international footballer of Beninese descent who currently plays for Évian Thonon Gaillard FC. Govou is a naturally attacking player but rarely plays as a striker, he is more commonly deployed as a winger. His main attribute is his pace...

 , Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 
July 24, 2008   AS Nancy
AS Nancy
Association Sportive Nancy-Lorraine is a French association football club based in Nancy. The club was founded in 1967 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Nancy plays its home matches at the Stade Marcel Picot in Tomblaine, a commune located in the Arrondissement of...

H
Villefranche-sur-Saône
Villefranche-sur-Saône is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France.It lies 1 mile west of the Saône River, and is around north of Lyon...

3 – 0 Juninho
Juninho Pernambucano
Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr. , commonly known as Juninho or Juninho Pernambucano, is a Brazilian footballer and dead-ball specialist, currently playing as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A club CR Vasco da Gama. He is considered to be one of the greatest free kick takers of all time...

 , Pied , Tafer
Yannis Tafer
Yannis Tafer is a French football player of Algerian descent who currently plays for French club Lyon in Ligue 1. He is a France youth international having represented the country under-17, under-18, and under-19 level...

 
3,000
July 29, 2008   AS Monaco FC
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...

H
Annecy
Annecy is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It lies on the northern tip of Lake Annecy , 35 kilometres south of Geneva.-Administration:...

0 – 1 3,500
August 2, 2008   Bordeaux
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....

A
Stade Chaban-Delmas
Stade Chaban-Delmas is a sporting stadium located in the city of Bordeaux, France. It is the home ground of FC Girondins de Bordeaux.Until 2001, the stadium's name was the Stade du Parc Lescure...

4 – 5 (P) 27,167

Competitions

Lyon opened up their Ligue 1 season
Ligue 1 2008-09
The 2008–09 Ligue 1 season was the 71st since its establishment. Bordeaux became champions for the sixth time on the last weekend of the season. The fixtures were announced on 23 May 2008. The season began on 9 August 2008 and ended on 30 May 2009...

 in a positive fashion defeating Toulouse 3-0 with a brace from Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 and a rare goal from Jean II Makoun. Following a 0-0 draw away to Lorient
FC Lorient
Football Club Lorient-Bretagne Sud is a French association football club based in Lorient. The club was founded in 1926 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Lorient plays its home matches at the Stade du Moustoir located within the city. The team is managed by Christian...

, which dropped them to 3rd in the standings, Lyon rebounded with back to back wins over Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes is one of the 27 regions of France, located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the Rhône River and the Alps mountain range. Its capital, Lyon, is the second-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris...

 rivals Grenoble
Grenoble Foot 38
Grenoble Foot 38, commonly referred to as simply Grenoble, is a French association football club based in Grenoble, a city situated at the foot of the French Alps. The original incarnation of the club was founded in 1892 and, in 1997, was formed into the club that exists today as a result of a merger...

 and Saint-Étienne
AS Saint-Étienne
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city...

. Following that, Lyon picked up their third straight victory with a 3-2 win over Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...

. The match was, however, marred with controversy. After trailing 0-2, Lyon got back into the match with two spectacular free kicks from Juninho
Juninho Pernambucano
Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr. , commonly known as Juninho or Juninho Pernambucano, is a Brazilian footballer and dead-ball specialist, currently playing as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A club CR Vasco da Gama. He is considered to be one of the greatest free kick takers of all time...

. With the match in injury time and looking to end in a draw, referee Jean-Charles Cailleux and one of his assistant referees
Assistant referee (association football)
In association football, an assistant referee is one of several officials who assist the referee in controlling a match. Two officials, traditionally known as linesmen , stand on the touchlines, while a fourth official assists administrative or other match related tasks as directed by the referee...

 ruled a handball infraction had been committed by Nice defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

 Vincent Hognon
Vincent Hognon
Vincent Hognon is a former French football defender.- Career :Hognon started his career at hometown club AS Nancy in Ligue 2, making his debut during the 1993-94 season...

 in the box given Lyon a penalty, which was converted by Benzema. Looking at the replay, it could have easily been determined that the handball infraction had been without malice and that the penalty should have not been given. However, Lyon escaped with a victory, which moved them into first place. They followed this win up with back to back one goal wins over newly-promoted side Le Havre
Le Havre AC
Le Havre Athletic Club Football Association is a French association football club based in Le Havre. The club was founded originally as an athletics and rugby club in 1872, thus making it the oldest association football and rugby club registered in France...

 and Nancy
AS Nancy
Association Sportive Nancy-Lorraine is a French association football club based in Nancy. The club was founded in 1967 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Nancy plays its home matches at the Stade Marcel Picot in Tomblaine, a commune located in the Arrondissement of...

 giving them five straight league victories.

The following week, Lyon received their first loss in the league against Rennes that would later be described as a "thrashing" by the media. Lyon struggled in every aspect of the match and allow Rennes striker Mickaël Pagis
Mickaël Pagis
Mickaël Pagis is a retired French football striker.Pagis is 1.81 m tall and weighs 81 kg. His nickname is "Pagistral", based on his name, the French word "Magistral" , and also the name of a famous wind and writer in Marseille "Mistral"...

 to score a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...

, the last goal being a beautiful strike from almost thirty yards out. The loss to Rennes showed as Lyon's horrilbe form continued drawing with both Lille and Auxerre the following two weeks. Lyon finally got back on track with shut-out wins over Sochaux, Le Mans, and Monaco before heading into their showdown with imminent rivals Bordeaux. With Lyon playing at home, they prove to still be the most dominant French side in the league defeating Bordeaux 2-1 with goals from Benzema and a beautiful goal from Kim Källström. The following week, Lyon got another test, this time in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

. In this match, Lyon not only incurred their second defeat, but they lost their consistent right back Anthony Réveillère to injury with the player likely being out for the season, though he later returned to the squad. The following match, Lyon only managed a 0-0 draw in the downpouring rain against Valenciennes.

Lyon suffered their third defeat of the season the following week against relegation strugglers Nantes. Lyon came into the match apparently looking ahead to their Champions League clash with Bayern Munich and proceeded to underestimate the West Coast side who defeated Lyon 1-2 with two goals from the Croat
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...

 Ivan Klasnić
Ivan Klasnic
Ivan Klasnić is a Croatian footballer who plays for Bolton Wanderers of the Premier League. He is a Croatian international. In 2007, Klasnić underwent a kidney transplant, and became the first player to participate in a major tournament after a transplant.-St. Pauli:Klasnić started his...

. The loss was promptly followed by a showdown for first place with rivals Marseille the following week. Other than battling for first place, the return of Hatem Ben Arfa to the Gerland was on the minds of supporters, as well as the players. However, despite the hype and build up leading up to the match, including achieving a record television audience, both clubs failed to score a goal as the match ended in another 0-0 draw. Lyon finally ended their winless run with a 1-0 victory over Caen with Karim Benzema scoring Lyon's lone goal, his 10th of the league campaign. With the victory, Lyon were assured 1st place heading into the three week winter
Winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year in temperate climates, between autumn and spring. At the winter solstice, the days are shortest and the nights are longest, with days lengthening as the season progresses after the solstice.-Meteorology:...

 break.

Lyon returned from the winter break taking on Lorient. Despite getting an early goal from Ederson, Lyon failed to get a winning result leaving the match with a 1-1 draw. The following week, they rebounded with a 2-0 victory over Grenoble with Ederson getting on the scoreboard for the second straight week. Due to Lyon's cup matches being postponed, they were forced to endure two cup matches, in a span of four days, before facing rivals Saint-Étienne. The match ended in another 1-1 draw. After a full week of training, Lyon again rebounded from a draw picking up a convincing 3-1 victory over Hugo Lloris's former club Nice with Jean Makoun scoring up an unexpected brace. This match also marked the league debut of youth product Yannis Tafer. The following week, they picked up another convincing 3-1 win, this time against Le Havre, with Makoun scoring again. This match also marked Lyon's 3rd straight match where a red card was given out. The following week, Lyon again earned a victory, defeating Nancy 2-0. Lyon started the match without the majority of their regulars who were being rested for the 1st leg of their Champion's League showdown with Barcelona.

Returning from Champion's League play, Lyon faced Rennes, who was responsible for the champions first loss of the season. The match remained even until the 66th minute when Kim Källström scored following a gifted pass from the youngster Miralem Pjanić. The scoreline remained until injury time when Rennes striker Jimmy Briand
Jimmy Briand
Jimmy Briand is a French association football player who currently plays for Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1. He started his career as a striker, but now he is usually deployed on the wings. Briand is a former graduate of the famous Clairefontaine academy and is formerly a France youth international...

 scored after receiving a nice through ball which caught Lyon defender Cris off guard. Briand proceeded to get a shot on the ball off balance, which got past the charging Hugo Lloris to tie the match 1-1, which was the eventual scoreline. Lyon followed this draw with a defeat taking on Lille, whom they had just contested three days ago in a Coupe de France tie. With the match being played at the Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...

 and the clubs entertaining a record crowd, Lyon fielded a pretty strong, yet questionable side with players Mathieu Bodmer
Mathieu Bodmer
Mathieu Bodmer is a French footballer who currently plays for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain F.C.. He usually plays as a central midfielder. He serves as president of amateur French club Évreux FC, located in his hometown.-Early career:Bodmer began his professional career at Évreux AC at the...

 and François Clerc
François Clerc
François Clerc is a French footballer who plays as a right back for OGC Nice.-Club career:He joined Lyon as a youth player, but spent the 2004–05 season on loan at Toulouse FC before playing a league game for Lyon...

 returning from a long absence and also having the task of defeating Barcelona in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 in the second leg of their Champion's League clash. In the match, Lyon failed constantly to get on the scoreboard with the Ivorian and former mastiff Kader Keïta
Abdul Kader Keïta
Abdel-Kader Keïta is an Ivorian professional football player. Keïta plays as a winger for Al-Sadd in the Qatar Stars League and the Cote d'Ivoire national football team....

 missing on numerous opportunities. Lille made sure they made good on their chances with the Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...

n Róbert Vittek
Róbert Vittek
Róbert Vittek is a Slovak football player who currently plays for Trabzonspor in Turkey.-Slovan Bratislava:...

 scoring the opening goal in the 60th minute and the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

ian Michel Bastos
Michel Fernandes Bastos
Michel Fernandes Bastos is a Brazilian footballer. He currently plays for Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue 1. He primarily plays as a winger capable of playing on either side of the field, but plays as a left back for the Brazil national team...

 finishing off Lyon scoring the second goal in the 88th minute to pick up a 0-2 victory.

After returning from their embarrassing defeat to Barcelona in Spain, Lyon suffered another embarrassment losing their first match at home this season to minnows Auxerre, despite both management and Claude Puel stating the club would respond positively to their elimination from the Champion's League. Fielding exactly the same lineup that lost 2-5 to Barcelona, Lyon failed for the second week in a row to get on the scoreboard losing 0-2 to Auxerre, who got goals from Ireneusz Jeleń
Ireneusz Jelen
Ireneusz Jeleń is a Polish footballer who plays as a right-winger or striker for Ligue 1 side Lille and the Polish national football team.-Club career:...

 and the Dane
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

 Thomas Kahlenberg
Thomas Kahlenberg
Thomas Kahlenberg is a Danish footballer, who plays as an attacking midfielder for German team Wolfsburg. He started his career with Brøndby IF, winning two Danish Superliga championship, and played four seasons at French club AJ Auxerre...

 leaving Lyon to hope they get a positive result from the Le Classique in order to hold on to their first place position.

They would indeed keep hold of first place as a result of Marseille's 3-1 victory over PSG. Lyon responded by picking up their first league victory in over three matches in a 2-0 win over Sochaux. They captured their second straight league victory in a win over Le Mans with Karim Benzema securing a much needed brace in a 3-1 win. With the likes of Marseille, Bordeaux, PSG, Lille, and Toulouse on their backs, Lyon needed victories to ensure their 8th straight league titles. They proceeded to falter drawing with mid-table club Monaco 2-2. Despite being 10 spots down in the table, Monaco were the stronger side forcing Lyon to come back from a goal down twice. The draw also dropped Lyon from the top spot, which they had held since the 4th week of the season. With Marseille recording a victory over Lorient hours before, Lyon needed a victory over Bordeaux to ensure they remain in the title race. Early on in the match, Lyon were denied a clear penalty chance after the Brazilian Ederson was taking down in the box by Bordeaux right back Matthieu Chalmé
Matthieu Chalmé
Matthieu Chalmé is a French football player who currently plays as a right back for Bordeaux in Ligue 1.-Career:...

. Bordeaux proceeded to score just before halftime with a goal from the former Lyonnais Alou Diarra
Alou Diarra
Alou Diarra is a French international footballer who currently plays for French club Marseille in Ligue 1. He primarily plays as a defensive midfielder, but can also deputized as a centre back if necessary...

 after the Brazilian Wendel hit the post on a shot off a corner kick. Chalmé would be involved in another denied penalty dispute later in the match, this time with Benzema. Despite the initial foul occurring inside the penalty box, the referee Stéphane Bré
Stéphane Bré
Stéphane Bré is a French football referee. He has refereed in the French Football Federation since 1992 and has been a FIFA-referee since 1998. He has officiated the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.-References:*...

 ruled the foul had occurred outside the box where Benzema fell. Eventually, Lyon fell to Bordeaux dropping the defending champions to 3rd and, instead of fighting for the title, were now fighting for the 3rd and final Champions League place with PSG, whom they faced next week. Played on a Friday, Lyon failed to score a goal for the second straight week as the match ended in a 0-0 draw. The next week against Valenciennes, Lyon endured their 7th defeat of the season losing 0-2. The lost effectively, but not mathematically, eliminated Lyon from winning their eight consecutive title. That occurred the following week. Despite defeating Nantes 3-0 with Jean Makoun scoring a brace, a victory by Bordeaux over Valenciennes eliminated Lyon from title contention.

Instead of reminiscing, Lyon took the opportunity to focus on qualifying for next year's UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League 2009–10
The 2009–10 UEFA Champions League was the 55th season of Europe's premier club football tournament and the 18th under the current UEFA Champions League format. The final was played on 22 May 2010, at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home ground of Real Madrid, in Madrid, Spain. The final was won by...

 with a key match against Marseille. Though they were positioned for the third qualifying round in the standings, Lyon looked to jump Marseille into second position to go directly through the group stage. In front of a record crowd for a Marseille match, Lyon cruised to a 3-1 victory with Benzema finally ending his goal drought scoring a brace. Juninho scored the third goal. The following week, against Caen, Juninho and Benzema scored again in a 3-1 victory. For Juninho, it was his 100th career goal for Lyon. Juninho also received a standing ovation upon being substituted out, in what some knew was his final match at the Stade Gerland
Stade Gerland
The Stade de Gerland is a stadium, in the city of Lyon, France and home to Ligue 1 football club Olympique Lyonnais...

. Unfortunately, the victory was with malice since Marseille also won that week. Lyon were now guaranteed to finish in the 3rd spot meaning they would be seeded directly into the Playoff round, where they might end up facing the likes of the 2008–09 UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup 2008–09
The UEFA Cup 2008–09 was the 38th edition of the UEFA Cup football tournament. The final was played at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, home ground of Fenerbahçe, in Istanbul, Turkey, on 20 May 2009. This season was the final one to use the UEFA Cup format; starting in 2009, the event is known as the...

 champions Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Shakhtar Donetsk is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. Shakhtar has appeared in several European competitions and currently is often a participant of the UEFA Champions League. The club became the first Ukrainian club to win the UEFA Cup in 2009, the last year...

 and Sporting Clube.

League table

Results summary

Results by round

Date Opponents H / A Result Scorers Attendance Position Referee
2008
10 August Toulouse H 3 – 0 Makoun
Jean Makoun
Jean II Makoun is a Cameroonian footballer who plays for Greek Superleague club Olympiacos on loan from Aston Villa. He also plays in the Cameroon national football team.-Early career:...

 , Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 
36,448 1st Fredy Fautrel
17 August Lorient
FC Lorient
Football Club Lorient-Bretagne Sud is a French association football club based in Lorient. The club was founded in 1926 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Lorient plays its home matches at the Stade du Moustoir located within the city. The team is managed by Christian...

A
Stade du Moustoir
Stade du Moustoir is a multi-use stadium in Lorient, France. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of FC Lorient. The stadium holds 18,100 people.-References:...

0 – 0 14,617 3rd Antony Gautier
23 August Grenoble
Grenoble Foot 38
Grenoble Foot 38, commonly referred to as simply Grenoble, is a French association football club based in Grenoble, a city situated at the foot of the French Alps. The original incarnation of the club was founded in 1892 and, in 1997, was formed into the club that exists today as a result of a merger...

H 2 – 0 Makoun
Jean Makoun
Jean II Makoun is a Cameroonian footballer who plays for Greek Superleague club Olympiacos on loan from Aston Villa. He also plays in the Cameroon national football team.-Early career:...

 , Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 
38,754 2nd Hervé Piccirillo
Hervé Piccirillo
Hervé Piccirillo . Is a French football referee. He has been a referee in the French Football Federation since 1990 and a FIFA-referee since 2005.-References:...

31 August Saint-Étienne
AS Saint-Étienne
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city...

A
Stade Geoffroy-Guichard
Stade Geoffroy-Guichard is a multi-purpose stadium in Saint-Étienne, France. It is used primarily for football matches, and tournaments such as the 1984 European Football Championship, the Football World Cup 1998 and the Confederations Cup 2003. It is also used for rugby union, and was a venue at...

1 – 0 Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 
34,704 2nd Laurent Duhamel
Laurent Duhamel
Laurent Duhamel is a French football referee. He has been a referee in the French Football Federation since 1993 and a FIFA referee since 1999. He was suspended from refereeing in France in 2009, but allowed to continue to referee international matches.-References:...

13 September Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...

H 3 – 2 Juninho
Juninho Pernambucano
Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr. , commonly known as Juninho or Juninho Pernambucano, is a Brazilian footballer and dead-ball specialist, currently playing as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A club CR Vasco da Gama. He is considered to be one of the greatest free kick takers of all time...

 , Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 
35,925 1st Jean-Charles Cailleux
20 September Le Havre
Le Havre AC
Le Havre Athletic Club Football Association is a French association football club based in Le Havre. The club was founded originally as an athletics and rugby club in 1872, thus making it the oldest association football and rugby club registered in France...

A
Stade Jules Deschaseaux
Stade Jules Deschaseaux, is a multi-purpose stadium in Le Havre, France. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium is able to hold 16,400 people and was built in 1932. During the 1938 World Cup, it hosted one game. In 2012 it will be replaced by the currently under...

1 – 0 Ederson
Ederson Honorato Campos
Ederson Honorato Campos , more commonly known as Ederson, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais as a midfielder.-Early career:...

 
16,211 1st Philippe Kalt
27 September Nancy
AS Nancy
Association Sportive Nancy-Lorraine is a French association football club based in Nancy. The club was founded in 1967 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Nancy plays its home matches at the Stade Marcel Picot in Tomblaine, a commune located in the Arrondissement of...

H 2 – 1 Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 , Fred
Frederico Chaves Guedes
Frederico Chaves Guedes, nicknamed Fred , is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a striker for Brazilian club Fluminense....

 
36,895 1st Stéphane Bré
Stéphane Bré
Stéphane Bré is a French football referee. He has refereed in the French Football Federation since 1992 and has been a FIFA-referee since 1998. He has officiated the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.-References:*...

5 October Rennes
Stade Rennais FC
Stade Rennais Football Club is a French association football club based in Rennes. The club was founded in 1901 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football. Rennes plays its home matches at the Stade de la Route de Lorient located within the city...

A
Stade de la Route de Lorient
The Stade de la Route de Lorient is a football stadium, inaugurated on September 15, 1912. It is located at 111 route de Lorient, in west-central Rennes. Rebuilt in 2001 and able to seat 29,376, the stadium is currently the home of Stade Rennais.This stadium is not to be confused with the Stade du...

0 – 3 27,816 1st Damien Ledentu
18 October Lille H 2 – 2 Chedjou
Aurélien Chedjou
Aurélien Bayard Chedjou Fongang is a Cameroonian footballer who currently plays for Lille and the Cameroon national team.On 21 October 2010, he scored the only goal against Levski Sofia after a Stéphane Dumont assist to help his team to a 1:0 win in a UEFA Europa League game.-External links:...

 , Grosso
Fabio Grosso
Fabio Grosso, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus. Grosso is primarily a left wingback, but can also play as left back. He is also a free kick, penalty kick and corner kick specialist...

 
38,314 1st Thierry Auriac
25 October Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...

A
Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps
The Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps is the home of AJ Auxerre football club in Auxerre, France. It has a capacity of 24,493.The stadium is the only Ligue 1 team stadium owned by the team. Renovated in 1994, it was renamed the Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps after Abbe Deschamps, who founded the club in...

0 – 0 15,042 1st Saïd Ennjimi
29 October Sochaux
FC Sochaux-Montbéliard
Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard is a French association football club based in the city of Montbéliard. The club was founded in 1928 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football. Sochaux plays its home matches at the Stade Auguste Bonal located within the city...

A
Stade Auguste Bonal
Stade Auguste Bonal is a multi-purpose stadium in Montbéliard, France. It is currently used mostly for football matches. It is the home ground of FC Sochaux-Montbéliard. The stadium is able to hold 20,025 people. Initially constructed in 1931, it has undergone multiple renovations, most recently...

2 – 0 Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 , Delgado
César Delgado
César Fabián Delgado Godoy is an Argentine footballer. He plays for Monterrey. His nickname "El Chelito" is derived from that of Marcelo Delgado because of their same last name.-Career:...

 
17,482 1st Antony Gautier
2 November Le Mans H 2 – 0 Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 , Juninho
Juninho Pernambucano
Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr. , commonly known as Juninho or Juninho Pernambucano, is a Brazilian footballer and dead-ball specialist, currently playing as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A club CR Vasco da Gama. He is considered to be one of the greatest free kick takers of all time...

 
36,456 1st Lionel Jaffredo
8 November Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...

A
Stade Louis II
The Stade Louis II is a stadium located in the Fontvieille district of Monaco. It serves primarily as a venue for football, being the home of AS Monaco and the Monaco national football team, as well as the location of the annual UEFA Super Cup match...

1 – 0 Fred
Frederico Chaves Guedes
Frederico Chaves Guedes, nicknamed Fred , is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a striker for Brazilian club Fluminense....

 
10,444 1st Hervé Piccirillo
Hervé Piccirillo
Hervé Piccirillo . Is a French football referee. He has been a referee in the French Football Federation since 1990 and a FIFA-referee since 2005.-References:...

16 November Bordeaux
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....

H 2 – 1 Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 , Källström
Kim Källström
Kim Källström is a left-footed Swedish midfielder playing for the Swedish national team and Olympique Lyonnais.-Early career:Källström's first professional club in Sweden was BK Häcken from Gothenburg but his big breakthrough in Sweden came when he moved to Djurgårdens IF in 2002, where he won the...

 
36,341 1st Bertrand Layec
Bertrand Layec
Bertrand Layec is a former French football referee. He was registered as a Fédéral 1 referee in France meaning he is eligible to officiate Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches, as well as matches in the Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue. Layec refereed his first match in Ligue 1 in 1998 and, in 2002,...

22 November PSG
Paris Saint-Germain FC
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club , also known simply as Paris Saint-Germain and familiarly as Paris SG or PSG , is a professional association football club based in Paris, France. The club was founded on 12 August 1970, thanks to the merger of Paris FC and Stade Saint-Germain...

A
Parc des Princes
The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...

0 – 1 44,780 1st Stéphane Lannoy
29 November Valenciennes
Valenciennes FC
Valenciennes Football Club is a French association football club based in Valenciennes. The club was founded in 1913 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Valenciennes plays its home matches at the recently-built Stade du Hainaut located within the city...

H 0 – 0 35,988 1st Bruno Coue
6 December Nantes A
Stade de la Beaujoire
The Stade de la Beaujoire - Louis Fonteneau, or "Stade de la Beaujoire", is a stadium in Nantes, France. It is the home of the FC Nantes football club....

1 – 2 Piquionne
Frédéric Piquionne
Frédéric Piquionne is a French football player who plays as a forward for West Ham United. His former clubs are Golden Star of Martinique, Nîmes Olympique, Rennes, AS Saint-Etienne, AS Monaco, Lyon and Portsmouth...

 
26,624 1st Damien Ledentu
14 December Marseille H 0 – 0 39,638 1st Stéphane Bré
Stéphane Bré
Stéphane Bré is a French football referee. He has refereed in the French Football Federation since 1992 and has been a FIFA-referee since 1998. He has officiated the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.-References:*...

20 December Caen
SM Caen
Stade Malherbe Caen is a professional French football team, playing in the city of Caen, Normandy. The club was founded on 17 November 1913 following the merger of Club Malherbe Caennais and Club Sportif Caennais...

A
Stade Michel d'Ornano
Stade Michel d'Ornano is a multi-use stadium in Caen, France. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Stade Malherbe Caen. It is named after the French politician Michel d'Ornano, former president of the Basse-Normandie region.The stadium was built in 1993 to...

1 – 0 Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 
20,613 1st Lionel Jaffredo
2009
10 January Lorient
FC Lorient
Football Club Lorient-Bretagne Sud is a French association football club based in Lorient. The club was founded in 1926 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Lorient plays its home matches at the Stade du Moustoir located within the city. The team is managed by Christian...

H 1 – 1 Ederson
Ederson Honorato Campos
Ederson Honorato Campos , more commonly known as Ederson, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais as a midfielder.-Early career:...

 
34,809 1st Hervé Piccirillo
Hervé Piccirillo
Hervé Piccirillo . Is a French football referee. He has been a referee in the French Football Federation since 1990 and a FIFA-referee since 2005.-References:...

17 January Grenoble
Grenoble Foot 38
Grenoble Foot 38, commonly referred to as simply Grenoble, is a French association football club based in Grenoble, a city situated at the foot of the French Alps. The original incarnation of the club was founded in 1892 and, in 1997, was formed into the club that exists today as a result of a merger...

A
Stade des Alpes
Stade des Alpes is a football stadium in Grenoble, France. The stadium holds 20,068 and hosts the home games of Grenoble Foot 38.Situated in Parc Paul Mistral, it replaced their stadium Stade Lesdiguières....

2 – 0 Ederson
Ederson Honorato Campos
Ederson Honorato Campos , more commonly known as Ederson, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais as a midfielder.-Early career:...

 , Delgado
César Delgado
César Fabián Delgado Godoy is an Argentine footballer. He plays for Monterrey. His nickname "El Chelito" is derived from that of Marcelo Delgado because of their same last name.-Career:...

 
19,264 1st Thierry Auriac
1 February Saint-Étienne
AS Saint-Étienne
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city...

H 1 – 1 Juninho
Juninho Pernambucano
Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr. , commonly known as Juninho or Juninho Pernambucano, is a Brazilian footballer and dead-ball specialist, currently playing as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A club CR Vasco da Gama. He is considered to be one of the greatest free kick takers of all time...

 
38,590 1st Stéphane Lannoy
7 February Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...

A
Stade du Ray
Stade Municipal du Ray is a football stadium in Nice, France. It is the home of OGC Nice and has a capacity of 18,696. It is popular for being located in the center of the city, but suffers from its old structure and small capacity....

3 – 1 Makoun
Jean Makoun
Jean II Makoun is a Cameroonian footballer who plays for Greek Superleague club Olympiacos on loan from Aston Villa. He also plays in the Cameroon national football team.-Early career:...

 , Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 
12,844 1st Bertrand Layec
Bertrand Layec
Bertrand Layec is a former French football referee. He was registered as a Fédéral 1 referee in France meaning he is eligible to officiate Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches, as well as matches in the Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue. Layec refereed his first match in Ligue 1 in 1998 and, in 2002,...

14 February Le Havre
Le Havre AC
Le Havre Athletic Club Football Association is a French association football club based in Le Havre. The club was founded originally as an athletics and rugby club in 1872, thus making it the oldest association football and rugby club registered in France...

H 3 – 1 Ederson
Ederson Honorato Campos
Ederson Honorato Campos , more commonly known as Ederson, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais as a midfielder.-Early career:...

 , Keïta , Juninho
Juninho Pernambucano
Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr. , commonly known as Juninho or Juninho Pernambucano, is a Brazilian footballer and dead-ball specialist, currently playing as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A club CR Vasco da Gama. He is considered to be one of the greatest free kick takers of all time...

 
37,118 1st Alain Hamer
Alain Hamer
Alain Hamer is a Luxembourgan football referee. He has refereed over 50 matches in the UEFA Champions League, the first in 2000-01. He has also refereed a match in the African Cup of Nations and close to 30 matches in the French Ligue 1...

21 February Nancy
AS Nancy
Association Sportive Nancy-Lorraine is a French association football club based in Nancy. The club was founded in 1967 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Nancy plays its home matches at the Stade Marcel Picot in Tomblaine, a commune located in the Arrondissement of...

A
Stade Marcel Picot
Stade Marcel Picot is a football stadium located in Tomblaine, France, near the city of Nancy. Built in 1926, it is used by Ligue 1 soccer team AS Nancy.The stadium was completely rebuilt and inaugurated in its new configuration in 2003...

2 – 0 Cris
Cristiano Marques Gomes
Cristiano Marques Gomes or simply Cris, is a Brazilian footballer. He currently plays for Olympique Lyonnais as a centre back and has also represented his country. Also nicknamed "the policeman" by way of reference to his authoritarian nature on the pitch and his four months experience in a police...

 , Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 
18,953 1st Fredy Fautrel
1 March Rennes
Stade Rennais FC
Stade Rennais Football Club is a French association football club based in Rennes. The club was founded in 1901 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football. Rennes plays its home matches at the Stade de la Route de Lorient located within the city...

H 1 – 1 Källström
Kim Källström
Kim Källström is a left-footed Swedish midfielder playing for the Swedish national team and Olympique Lyonnais.-Early career:Källström's first professional club in Sweden was BK Häcken from Gothenburg but his big breakthrough in Sweden came when he moved to Djurgårdens IF in 2002, where he won the...

 
34,870 1st Philippe Kalt
7 March Lille N
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...

0 – 2 78,056 1st Saïd Ennjimi
14 March Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...

H 0 – 2 37,846 1st Thierry Auriac
22 March Sochaux
FC Sochaux-Montbéliard
Football Club Sochaux-Montbéliard is a French association football club based in the city of Montbéliard. The club was founded in 1928 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top tier of French football. Sochaux plays its home matches at the Stade Auguste Bonal located within the city...

H 2 – 0 Ederson
Ederson Honorato Campos
Ederson Honorato Campos , more commonly known as Ederson, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais as a midfielder.-Early career:...

 , Mounier
Anthony Mounier
Anthony Mounier is a French footballer who currently plays for Nice in Ligue 1. He primarily plays as a left-side winger.-Career:...

 
37,334 1st Olivier Thual
4 April Le Mans A
Stade Léon-Bollée
Stade Léon-Bollée is a multi-purpose stadium in Le Mans, France. It is currently used mostly for football matches and was the home stadium of Le Mans UC72 until 2011, when it was replaced by MMArena. The stadium is able to hold 17,801 people and was built in 1906....

3 – 1 Boumsong
Jean-Alain Boumsong
Jean-Alain Boumsong-Somkong is a professional football defender who currently plays for the Greek team Panathinaikos and the French national team.-Early career:...

 , Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 
13,175 1st Philippe Malige
11 April Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...

H 2 – 2 Cris
Cristiano Marques Gomes
Cristiano Marques Gomes or simply Cris, is a Brazilian footballer. He currently plays for Olympique Lyonnais as a centre back and has also represented his country. Also nicknamed "the policeman" by way of reference to his authoritarian nature on the pitch and his four months experience in a police...

 , Piquionne
Frédéric Piquionne
Frédéric Piquionne is a French football player who plays as a forward for West Ham United. His former clubs are Golden Star of Martinique, Nîmes Olympique, Rennes, AS Saint-Etienne, AS Monaco, Lyon and Portsmouth...

 
40,245 2nd Antony Gautier
19 April Bordeaux
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....

A
Stade Chaban-Delmas
Stade Chaban-Delmas is a sporting stadium located in the city of Bordeaux, France. It is the home ground of FC Girondins de Bordeaux.Until 2001, the stadium's name was the Stade du Parc Lescure...

0 – 1 32,858 3rd Stéphane Bré
Stéphane Bré
Stéphane Bré is a French football referee. He has refereed in the French Football Federation since 1992 and has been a FIFA-referee since 1998. He has officiated the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.-References:*...

24 April PSG
Paris Saint-Germain FC
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club , also known simply as Paris Saint-Germain and familiarly as Paris SG or PSG , is a professional association football club based in Paris, France. The club was founded on 12 August 1970, thanks to the merger of Paris FC and Stade Saint-Germain...

H 0 – 0 38,827 3rd Bertrand Layec
Bertrand Layec
Bertrand Layec is a former French football referee. He was registered as a Fédéral 1 referee in France meaning he is eligible to officiate Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches, as well as matches in the Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue. Layec refereed his first match in Ligue 1 in 1998 and, in 2002,...

2 May Valenciennes
Valenciennes FC
Valenciennes Football Club is a French association football club based in Valenciennes. The club was founded in 1913 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Valenciennes plays its home matches at the recently-built Stade du Hainaut located within the city...

A
Stade Nungesser
Stade Nungesser is a multi-use stadium in Valenciennes, France. It is currently used mostly for football matches and was the home stadium of Valenciennes FC through the 2010-11 season. The stadium is able to hold 16,457 people and was built in 1930...

0 – 2 3rd Hervé Piccirillo
Hervé Piccirillo
Hervé Piccirillo . Is a French football referee. He has been a referee in the French Football Federation since 1990 and a FIFA-referee since 2005.-References:...

12 May Nantes H 3 – 0 Makoun
Jean Makoun
Jean II Makoun is a Cameroonian footballer who plays for Greek Superleague club Olympiacos on loan from Aston Villa. He also plays in the Cameroon national football team.-Early career:...

 , Mounier
Anthony Mounier
Anthony Mounier is a French footballer who currently plays for Nice in Ligue 1. He primarily plays as a left-side winger.-Career:...

 
36,792 3rd Lionel Jaffredo
17 May Marseille A
Stade Vélodrome
The Stade Vélodrome is a football stadium in Marseille, France. It is home to the Olympique de Marseille football club of Ligue 1, and was a venue in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup. It is the largest club-football ground in France, with a capacity of 60,031 spectators,...

3 – 1 Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 , Juninho
Juninho Pernambucano
Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr. , commonly known as Juninho or Juninho Pernambucano, is a Brazilian footballer and dead-ball specialist, currently playing as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A club CR Vasco da Gama. He is considered to be one of the greatest free kick takers of all time...

 
56,498 3rd Stéphane Lannoy
23 May Caen
SM Caen
Stade Malherbe Caen is a professional French football team, playing in the city of Caen, Normandy. The club was founded on 17 November 1913 following the merger of Club Malherbe Caennais and Club Sportif Caennais...

H 3 – 1 Juninho
Juninho Pernambucano
Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr. , commonly known as Juninho or Juninho Pernambucano, is a Brazilian footballer and dead-ball specialist, currently playing as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A club CR Vasco da Gama. He is considered to be one of the greatest free kick takers of all time...

 , Govou
Sidney Govou
Sidney Rodrigue Noukpo Govou is a French international footballer of Beninese descent who currently plays for Évian Thonon Gaillard FC. Govou is a naturally attacking player but rarely plays as a striker, he is more commonly deployed as a winger. His main attribute is his pace...

 , Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 
39,312 3rd Damien Ledentu
30 May Toulouse A 0 – 0 33,462 3rd Antony Gautier

UEFA Champions League

Lyon entered the 2008-09 UEFA Champions League for the 8th straight season. Due to finishing as champions of Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....

 this past season
Ligue 1 2007-08
The 2007–08 Ligue 1 season is the seventieth since its establishment, and started in August 2007 and ended on 17 May 2008. The fixtures were announced in June 2007. Lyon became French champions, having won a record seventh consecutive title ....

, Lyon again entered directly to the group stage. The draw for the group stage was determined on August 28, 2008. Lyon were paired with the defending German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 champions Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....

, Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 side Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...

, and the Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

n runner-ups Steaua Bucureşti.

Lyon began their Champions League quest at home taking on Fiorentina. Lyon also unveiled their fluorescent green third kit in this match. As with the Nice match, which occurred just four days before, this match had its share of controversy. Following a disappointing first half, with Fiorentina leading 0-2 after two goals from Alberto Gilardino
Alberto Gilardino
Alberto Gilardino, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Fiorentina and the Italian national team....

, Lyon came out for the second half with scoring in mind. With Lyon attacking, following a cross into the box, a collision occurred just inside the field of play between Frédéric Piquionne
Frédéric Piquionne
Frédéric Piquionne is a French football player who plays as a forward for West Ham United. His former clubs are Golden Star of Martinique, Nîmes Olympique, Rennes, AS Saint-Etienne, AS Monaco, Lyon and Portsmouth...

 and Fiorentina defender Luciano Zauri
Luciano Zauri
Luciano Zauri is an Italian footballer who plays for Lazio.-Atalanta:Zauri made his debut in Serie A in the 1996–97 season with Atalanta in a 4–0 loss at home to Roma....

, which unexpectedly injured the latter. Following a clearance by the Fiorentina defence, it was expected, by Fiorentina, that the ball would be put out of play with fair play
Sportsmanship
Sportsmanship is an aspiration or ethos that a sport or activity will be enjoyed for its own sake, with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one's competitors...

 being in mind. However, with Lyon trailing 0-2 and several Lyon players not having any idea of Zauri being down, they proceeded to attack and eventually a goal was scored by Piquionne. Following this incident, Lyon still trailed 1-2, but in the 86th minute, after earning a free kick
Indirect free kick
An indirect free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football. Unlike a direct free kick, a goal may not be scored directly from the kick. The law was derived from the Sheffield Rules that stated that no goal could be scored from a free kick...

 Juninho and Benzema proceeded to display excellent and sly teamwork as Benzema equalised for his side drawing the match 2-2 and giving both clubs 1 point through one round.

With one point in hand, Lyon traveled to Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...

, the capital city of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...

 to take on group leaders Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....

 who defeated Steaua Bucureşti 1-0 on the opening matchday. With both teams coming off unimpressive matches a couple of days before (Lyon an unspectacular 2-1 victory over Nancy and Bayern, a 0-1 loss away to Hannover
Hannover 96
Hannoverscher Sportverein von 1896, commonly referred to as Hannover 96, Hannover or simply 96, is a German association football club based in the city of Hanover, Lower Saxony.-Foundation to WWII:...

), the match showed why with Lyon's only goal coming off the head of Bayern defender Martin Demichelis
Martin Demichelis
Martín Gastón Demichelis is an Argentine footballer who plays for Málaga CF in Spain, mainly as a central defender - he can operate as a defensive midfielder on occasion....

 in the 25th minute from one of Juninho's spot kicks. Bayern later equalised through the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

ian Zé Roberto
José Roberto da Silva Júnior
José Roberto da Silva Jr. , commonly known as Zé Roberto, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays for Al-Gharafa of the Qatari League as midfielder.-Portuguesa:...

 in the second half. Though Lyon had decent chances, including one where Karim Benzema had a chance to capitalize on a Bayern mistake late in the second half, the match remained 1-1 with Lyon leaving Munich with just 2 points through two matches.

After starting off slow, Lyon rebounded picking up two victories in their home-away series with FC Steaua Bucureşti. Similar to last season matches with Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...

, Lyon used these matches to get back into the competition defeating Steaua 5-3 in Romania. They came back from a 2-0 deficit and a 3-2 one goal deficit before finishing off the Romanian side in the latter portion of the second half with a goal from Benzema and a brace from Fred. The second match was a positive result as well with Lyon picking up a solid 2-0 victory with goals from Juninho and Anthony Réveillère. With the result in the other match between Bayern and Fiorentina being a draw, this moved Lyon into first place in the group (on goal differential) heading into the final two matchdays.

With the group stage drawing to an end and injuries piling up, Lyon traveled to Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....

 to again face Fiorentina. Despite having injury troubles at the back of the defense, Lyon performed well and only conceded one goal, again from Gilardino, though at the time of the goal, Lyon were up 2-0 after goals from Jean II Makoun and Karim Benzema. Despite chances from Brazilians Juninho and Ederson, in which both players hit the post in amazing fashion, the scoreline remained as Lyon booked their place in the knockout stage
UEFA Champions League 2008–09 knockout stage
The knockout stage of the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League began on 24 February 2009 and concluded with the final at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on 27 May 2009...

. In the final group stage match, which decided what team would finish first place in the group, Bayern Munich defeated Lyon 2-3, scoring all three of their goals in the first half. Lyon controlled the second half with two goals from Govou and Benzema, but could not get a third to draw the match or a fourth to win the group. With this result, Lyon went through as second.

Group F

UEFA Champions League 2008-09 Group F
EWLINE
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Bayern
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....

6 4 2 0 12 4
8
14
  Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...

6 3 2 1 14 10
4
11
  Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...

6 1 3 2 5 8 −3 6
  Steaua 6 0 1 5 3 12 −6 1

Results by round

Date Opponents H / A Result Scorers Attendance Position Referee
17 September 2008   Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...

H 2 – 2 Piquionne
Frédéric Piquionne
Frédéric Piquionne is a French football player who plays as a forward for West Ham United. His former clubs are Golden Star of Martinique, Nîmes Olympique, Rennes, AS Saint-Etienne, AS Monaco, Lyon and Portsmouth...

 , Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 
37,500 2nd   Peter Fröjdfeldt
Peter Fröjdfeldt
Peter Fröjdfeldt is a top Swedish football referee. Originally a first division bandy player, he started refereeing in 1992 after his father-in-law asked him to referee a match in a minor league. He moved up to the highest Swedish league, the Allsvenskan in 1997, and obtained his FIFA badge in 2001...

30 September 2008   Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....

A
Allianz Arena
The Allianz Arena is a football stadium in the north of Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The two professional Munich football clubs FC Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 München have played their home games at Allianz Arena since the start of the 2005–06 season...

1 – 1 Martin Demichelis
Martin Demichelis
Martín Gastón Demichelis is an Argentine footballer who plays for Málaga CF in Spain, mainly as a central defender - he can operate as a defensive midfielder on occasion....

 
64,000 2nd   Kyros Vassaras
Kyros Vassaras
Kyros Vassaras is a Greek former professional football referee. Outside of refereeing, he works as a travel agent in Thessaloniki, Greece. Vassaras is also a linguist; he is able to speak Greek, German, English and Spanish....

21 October 2008   Steaua Bucureşti A
Stadionul Ghencea
Ghencea Stadium , is a football stadium in Bucharest, Romania, home of Ministry of National Defence of Romania. It was inaugurated on 9 April 1974. It was the home of Steaua Bucureşti until 2011.Tătaru was the first player to score on the new stadium...

5 – 3 Keïta , Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 , Fred
Frederico Chaves Guedes
Frederico Chaves Guedes, nicknamed Fred , is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a striker for Brazilian club Fluminense....

 
20,000 2nd   Grzegorz Gilewski
5 November 2008   Steaua Bucureşti H 2 – 0 Juninho
Juninho Pernambucano
Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr. , commonly known as Juninho or Juninho Pernambucano, is a Brazilian footballer and dead-ball specialist, currently playing as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A club CR Vasco da Gama. He is considered to be one of the greatest free kick takers of all time...

 , Réveillère
Anthony Réveillère
Anthony Réveillère is a French footballer. A pure product of the Rennes youth academy with which he débuted professionally, he plays as an attacking right-back with Olympique Lyonnais and France national team.-Career:...

 
30,243 1st   Manuel González
Manuel Mejuto González
Manuel Enrique Mejuto González is a former Spanish football referee. He is known for refereeing two matches in the Euro 2004 in Portugal...

25 November 2008   Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...

A
Stadio Artemio Franchi (Florence)
Stadio Artemio Franchi is a football stadium in Florence, Italy. It is currently the home of ACF Fiorentina. The stadium was temporarily noticed as the host of Italy's Six Nations matches from 2012. The old nickname of the stadium was "Comunale."...

2 – 1 Makoun , Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 
35,000 1st   Viktor Kassai
Viktor Kassai
Viktor Kassai is a Hungarian football referee. He has participated in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and he has been a full international for FIFA since 2003...

10 December 2008   Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....

H 2 – 3 Govou
Sidney Govou
Sidney Rodrigue Noukpo Govou is a French international footballer of Beninese descent who currently plays for Évian Thonon Gaillard FC. Govou is a naturally attacking player but rarely plays as a striker, he is more commonly deployed as a winger. His main attribute is his pace...

 , Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 
38,349 2nd   Howard Webb
Howard Webb
Howard Melton Webb, MBE, is an English professional football referee who officiates primarily in the Premier League and has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2005....


First Knockout Round

For the six straight season, Lyon reached the first knockout round. Due to finishing second, Lyon faced the danger of being paired with several big clubs that finished first in other groups. Notable clubs Lyon could have been paired with include Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

, Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

, Barcelona, and Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...

 to name a few. Following the draw, Lyon indeed received a tough draw being given La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...

 side F.C. Barcelona. Lyon and Barcelona were in the same group the previous Champions League season. Lyon lost to Barcelona 0-3 at the Camp Nou
Camp Nou
Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957....

, but played well enough to earn a 2-2 draw at home.
Date Round Opponents H / A Result
F – A
Scorers Attendance Referee
24 February 2009 First knockout round
First leg
  Barcelona H 1 – 1 Juninho
Juninho Pernambucano
Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr. , commonly known as Juninho or Juninho Pernambucano, is a Brazilian footballer and dead-ball specialist, currently playing as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A club CR Vasco da Gama. He is considered to be one of the greatest free kick takers of all time...

 
39,258   Wolfgang Stark
Wolfgang Stark
Wolfgang Stark , is a German football referee. He has refereed matches in the Champions League and qualifications to the European Football Championship and the World Cup...

11 March 2009 First knockout round
Second leg
  Barcelona A
Camp Nou
Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957....

2 – 5 Makoun , Juninho
Juninho Pernambucano
Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr. , commonly known as Juninho or Juninho Pernambucano, is a Brazilian footballer and dead-ball specialist, currently playing as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A club CR Vasco da Gama. He is considered to be one of the greatest free kick takers of all time...

 
93,062   Tom Øvrebø
Tom Henning Øvrebø
Tom Henning Øvrebø is a Norwegian football referee. Born in Oslo, Øvrebø is a former UEFA Elite referee, who has refereed matches in the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League...



In the opening leg at the Gerland, Lyon got off to a quick start scoring in just the 7th minute with a deceiving free kick, from an odd angle, by Juninho, which confused Barcelona keeper Víctor Valdés
Víctor Valdés
Víctor Valdés i Arribas is a Spanish football goalkeeper who currently plays for FC Barcelona in the Spanish La Liga.He is the most successful goalkeeper in Barcelona's history and is widely considered to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world, having won a total of 17 titles including five...

 and eventually with into the inside of the side netting. Lyon continued to perform well into the first half with the defense constantly pressing Barcelona's attack and Lyon's offense missing on a variety of goal chances. Barcelona eventually got its equaliser from the head of Frenchman
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...

 drawing the match at 1-1. This was the final scoreline as Lyon headed into the second leg at the Camp Nou. In the second leg, the exact opposite occurred with Barcelona constantly pressurizing Lyon in the first half leaving Barcelona to control the match with most of the possession occurring in Barcelona's attack. This showed as Barcelona earned first half goals from Henry twice, Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010...

 and Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o Fils is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala. He is also the current captain of the Cameroon national team.Eto'o trained at Kadji Sports Academy...

, which effectively ended Lyon's chances of advancing to the quarter-finals, despite Jean Makoun and Juninho scoring back-to-back goals in the 44th and 48th minute respectively. The final scoreline eventually was 2-5, eliminating Lyon from the Champion's League for the 7th consecutive season and for the 3rd consecutive season in the Round of 16.

Coupe de la Ligue

Lyon entered the Coupe de la Ligue season having last won the cup in 2001
Coupe de la Ligue Final 2001
The Coupe de la Ligue Final 2001 was a football match held at Stade de France, Saint-Denis on May 5, 2001, that saw Olympique Lyonnais defeat AS Monaco FC 2-1 thanks to goals by Caçapa and Patrick Müller.-Match details:...

. The previous season
Coupe de la Ligue 2007-08
The 2007-2008 Coupe de la Ligue began on August 14, 2007. The final was held on March 29, 2008 at the Stade de France. The defending champions were Bordeaux, who defeated Lyon 1-0 on March 31, 2007. The defending champions were eliminated from the competition on September 26, 2007 by Metz...

, they were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Le Mans. As with all other years, Lyon entered the cup in the Round of 16 as they qualified for the UEFA Champions League, where they faced last year's relegation side FC Metz
FC Metz
Football Club de Metz, commonly referred to as simply Metz , is a French association football club based in Metz. The club was formed in 1932 and has spent most of its history in the Ligue 1, though they currently play in Ligue 2, the second level in French football league system. Metz plays its...

. However, despite being relegated last season, Metz pulled off a tremendous 1-3 victory eliminating the defending league champions from the competition for the 8th straight season. Since winning the title in 2001, Lyon have only made it to January (usually when the quarter-finals take place) four times.
Date Round Opponents H/A Result Scorers Attendance Referee
11 November 2008 Round of 16 Metz
FC Metz
Football Club de Metz, commonly referred to as simply Metz , is a French association football club based in Metz. The club was formed in 1932 and has spent most of its history in the Ligue 1, though they currently play in Ligue 2, the second level in French football league system. Metz plays its...

H 1 – 3 Cris
Cristiano Marques Gomes
Cristiano Marques Gomes or simply Cris, is a Brazilian footballer. He currently plays for Olympique Lyonnais as a centre back and has also represented his country. Also nicknamed "the policeman" by way of reference to his authoritarian nature on the pitch and his four months experience in a police...

 
23,053 Fredy Fautrel

Coupe de France

Lyon entered the 2008–2009 Coupe de France season as defending champions, having won the title the previous season in a highly contested 1–0 victory
Coupe de France Final 2008
The 2008 Coupe de France Final was a football match that was held at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France on 24 May 2008. It was the 90th final in the Coupe de France's history. The final was contested between Paris Saint-Germain FC and Olympique Lyonnais...

 against Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain FC
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club , also known simply as Paris Saint-Germain and familiarly as Paris SG or PSG , is a professional association football club based in Paris, France. The club was founded on 12 August 1970, thanks to the merger of Paris FC and Stade Saint-Germain...

. Lyon began the defense of their title heading to the West coast to take on the Brittany-based side US Concarneau
US Concarneau
US Concarneau is a French football club based in Concarneau . It was founded in 1911. They play at the Stade Kerampéru, which has a capacity of 7,000...

. The match was postponed from its assigned January 3 date due to a frozen pitch and was rescheduled to be played on January 24, 2009. Though Lyon were the dominant side the entire match, the score at halftime was only 2-0. Lyon came out blazing in the second half scoring four goals, three of them in the final six minutes of the match to defeat Concarneau by a score of 6–0.

Lyon advanced to the Round of 32 where they faced rivals Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...

 in what was the first big draw of the cup. In the match, Lyon got off to a quick start with Karim Benzema scoring the first goal in just the 2nd minute. The rest of the match was fairly even, though, marred with several incidents, including former Lyon player Hatem Ben Arfa receiving a barrage of boos when he entered as a substitute in the 16th minute, as well as every time he touched the ball and Lyon player Kader Keïta picking up a second yellow card for elbowing new Marseille player Brandão
Evaeverson Lemos da Silva
Evaeverson Lemos da Silva or simply Brandão is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays for Grêmio, on loan from the French club Marseille.- Career :...

 in the face. In the end, Benzema's goal was the only goal of the match with Lyon securing their place in the Round of 16, where they faced another secondary rival Lille
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...

. Lille, whom Lyon were to face in a league tie three days later, opened the scoring with a goal from the Brazilian Michel Bastos in the 22nd minute. Lyon responded just two minutes later with a goal from Jean Makoun. Just before halftime, Lille's prolific youngster Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard
Eden Hazard is a Belgian footballer who currently plays for French club Lille in Ligue 1 and the Belgium national team. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger. Hazard is known for his creativity, speed, and technical ability and is described as a "fearless, explosive attacking...

 scored to give Lille a 2–1 lead. Lyon again responded just two minutes later in injury time with a goal from a Lyon youngster Anthony Mounier
Anthony Mounier
Anthony Mounier is a French footballer who currently plays for Nice in Ligue 1. He primarily plays as a left-side winger.-Career:...

, thus evening the match heading into halftime. With Lyon constantly responding back, Lille effectively ended Lyon's chances of defending their title by scoring at the death with a goal from Nicolas Fauvergue
Nicolas Fauvergue
Nicolas Fauvergue is a French footballer who plays as a forward for CS Sedan Ardennes.-Career:On 5 August 2009, RC Strasbourg have signed the forward on loan from OSC Lille. On 23 June 2010, CS Sedan Ardennes have signed the forward on loan for a year from OSC Lille, with a call option.-External...

 giving Lyon no time to respond back, eliminating the defending champions from the Coupe de France.
Date Round Opponents H/A Result Scorers Attendance Referee
24 January Round of 64
Coupe de France 2008-09
The 2008–09 Coupe de France was the ninety-second season of the French most prestigious cup competition and was open to all clubs in French football, as well as 7 teams from overseas departments and territories...

Concarneau
US Concarneau
US Concarneau is a French football club based in Concarneau . It was founded in 1911. They play at the Stade Kerampéru, which has a capacity of 7,000...

A
Stade du Roudourou
Stade du Roudourou is a stadium in Guingamp, France that is the home ground of French League 2 side En Avant Guingamp. The stadium is able to hold 18,040 people....

6 – 0 Boumsong
Jean-Alain Boumsong
Jean-Alain Boumsong-Somkong is a professional football defender who currently plays for the Greek team Panathinaikos and the French national team.-Early career:...

 , Mounier
Anthony Mounier
Anthony Mounier is a French footballer who currently plays for Nice in Ligue 1. He primarily plays as a left-side winger.-Career:...

 , Delgado
César Delgado
César Fabián Delgado Godoy is an Argentine footballer. He plays for Monterrey. His nickname "El Chelito" is derived from that of Marcelo Delgado because of their same last name.-Career:...

 , Keïta , Piquionne
Frédéric Piquionne
Frédéric Piquionne is a French football player who plays as a forward for West Ham United. His former clubs are Golden Star of Martinique, Nîmes Olympique, Rennes, AS Saint-Etienne, AS Monaco, Lyon and Portsmouth...

 
15,000 Fredy Fautrel
28 January Round of 32
Coupe de France 2008-09
The 2008–09 Coupe de France was the ninety-second season of the French most prestigious cup competition and was open to all clubs in French football, as well as 7 teams from overseas departments and territories...

Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...

H 1 – 0 Benzema
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is a French international footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. He primarily plays as a striker whose influence can extend out to the wings and is known for his technical ability, powerful style of play, and vast goal-scoring ability...

 
28,304 Laurent Duhamel
Laurent Duhamel
Laurent Duhamel is a French football referee. He has been a referee in the French Football Federation since 1993 and a FIFA referee since 1999. He was suspended from refereeing in France in 2009, but allowed to continue to referee international matches.-References:...

4 March Round of 16
Coupe de France 2008-09
The 2008–09 Coupe de France was the ninety-second season of the French most prestigious cup competition and was open to all clubs in French football, as well as 7 teams from overseas departments and territories...

Lille
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...

A
Stadium Lille-Metropole
Stade Lille-Metropole is a multi-purpose stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France. The stadium was built in 1976 and is able to hold 18,154. The architect for the stadium was Roger Taillibert....

2 – 3 Makoun
Jean Makoun
Jean II Makoun is a Cameroonian footballer who plays for Greek Superleague club Olympiacos on loan from Aston Villa. He also plays in the Cameroon national football team.-Early career:...

 , Mounier
Anthony Mounier
Anthony Mounier is a French footballer who currently plays for Nice in Ligue 1. He primarily plays as a left-side winger.-Career:...

 
16,000 Stéphane Bré
Stéphane Bré
Stéphane Bré is a French football referee. He has refereed in the French Football Federation since 1992 and has been a FIFA-referee since 1998. He has officiated the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.-References:*...


Start formations

Starting 11

Note: Formation shown indicates formation used in
club's league match against Toulouse on May 30.

}

Appearances and Goals

Last updated on May 30, 2009.

Players sold/retired after the start of the season:

|}

Other Statistics

Last updated May 30, 2009

Note: For all competitive competitions
No. Pos. Nationality Player Assists Minutes Played
1 GK   France France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
0 4070 1 0 0
2 DF
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

 
 France France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
0 805 0 0 0
3 DF
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

 
 Brazil Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

 
Cris
Cristiano Marques Gomes
Cristiano Marques Gomes or simply Cris, is a Brazilian footballer. He currently plays for Olympique Lyonnais as a centre back and has also represented his country. Also nicknamed "the policeman" by way of reference to his authoritarian nature on the pitch and his four months experience in a police...

 
1 3898 10 0 0
4 DF
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

 
 France France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
1 3411 3 0 0
5 MF
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

 
 France France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
0 1472 0 0 0
6 MF
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

 
 Sweden Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 
5 2710 4 0 0
7 MF
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

 
 Brazil Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

 
Ederson
Ederson Honorato Campos
Ederson Honorato Campos , more commonly known as Ederson, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays for French club Olympique Lyonnais as a midfielder.-Early career:...

 
2 2823 4 0 0
8 MF
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

 
 Brazil Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

 
Juninho
Juninho Pernambucano
Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr. , commonly known as Juninho or Juninho Pernambucano, is a Brazilian footballer and dead-ball specialist, currently playing as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A club CR Vasco da Gama. He is considered to be one of the greatest free kick takers of all time...

 
6 2679 8 1 1
9 FW
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

 
 Brazil Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

 
Fred
Frederico Chaves Guedes
Frederico Chaves Guedes, nicknamed Fred , is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a striker for Brazilian club Fluminense....

 
1 1147 2 0 0
10 FW
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

 
 France France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
4 3435 2 0 0
11 DF
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

 
 Italy Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 
2 2748 11 0 0
12 DF
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

 
 France France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
0 79 1 0 0
13 MF
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

 
 France France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
0 0 0 0 0
14 FW
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

 
 France France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
1 1284 5 1 0
15 DF
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

 
 Ghana Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...

 
0 1345 3 2 0
17 DF
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

 
 Cameroon Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...

 
3 3650 8 0 0
18 MF
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

 
 Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...

 
1 714 2 0 0
19 MF
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

 
 Argentina Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

 
3 1450 4 0 0
20 DF
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

 
 France France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
0 1952 4 0 0
22 MF
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

 
 France France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
0 0 0 0 0
23 FW
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

 
 Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast  1 1653 2 1 0
25 GK   France France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
0 0 0 0 0
26 MF
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

 
 Brazil Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

 
Fábio Santos
Fábio dos Santos Barbosa
Fábio dos Santos Barbosa is a former Brazilian footballer.- Career :Fábio dos Santos stated his career at Sao Paulo state.Fábio dos Santos signed by Lyon in January 2007 from Cruzeiro....

 
0 485 0 0 0
27 FW
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

 
 France France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
2 1006 0 0 0
28 MF
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

 
 France France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
2 3776 9 0 0
29 FW
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

 
 France France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
1 51 0 0 0
30 GK   France France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
0 450 0 0 0
31 MF
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...

 
 France France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
0 0 0 0 0
32 DF
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

 
 France France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
0 862 4 0 0
34 FW
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

 
 France France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
0 0 0 0 0
35 DF
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

 
 France France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
0 0 0 0 0
36 DF
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....

 
 France France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
0 90 1 0 0
38 FW
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

 
 France France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
0 0 0 0 0
39 FW
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

 
 France France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 
1 926 3 1 0

Reserves and Academy
Olympique Lyonnais Reserves and Academy
The Olympique Lyonnais Reserves & Academy are the reserve team and academy of French club Olympique Lyonnais. The reserves squad play in the Championnat de France amateur division, the fourth division of French football and the highest division the team is allowed to participate in. Lyon have won...

The Olympique Lyonnais Reserves and Academy
Olympique Lyonnais Reserves and Academy
The Olympique Lyonnais Reserves & Academy are the reserve team and academy of French club Olympique Lyonnais. The reserves squad play in the Championnat de France amateur division, the fourth division of French football and the highest division the team is allowed to participate in. Lyon have won...

 teams will also participate in seasonal activities this season. The second team, Olympique Lyonnais B, will participate in the Championnat de France Amateurs
Championnat de France Amateurs
The Championnat de France amateur, commonly referred to as simply CFA and formerly known as National 2, is a football league competition. The league serves as the fourth division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1, Ligue 2, and the Championnat National...

. The under-18 squad will participate in their league, the Championnat National Under-18 and the Coupe Gambardella. The under-16 squad will also participate in their league, Championnat National Under-16, as well as the Coupe Nationale des 16 ans, which is a regional tournament composed of regional squads that play against other regions. Lyon players selected will participate with the Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes
Rhône-Alpes is one of the 27 regions of France, located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the Rhône River and the Alps mountain range. Its capital, Lyon, is the second-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris...

 team.

Match results

Note: For the squads of the CFA, Under-18, and the Under-16, click here and here.


Olympique Lyonnais Ladies
Olympique Lyonnais (ladies)
Olympique Lyonnais Féminin is a French women's football club based in Lyon. The club has been the female section of Olympique Lyonnais since 2004. Lyon currently play in the Division 1 Féminine and are the defending champions having won the league for five straight seasons.The club was formed as...

The Olympique Lyonnais Ladies
Olympique Lyonnais (ladies)
Olympique Lyonnais Féminin is a French women's football club based in Lyon. The club has been the female section of Olympique Lyonnais since 2004. Lyon currently play in the Division 1 Féminine and are the defending champions having won the league for five straight seasons.The club was formed as...

 will also participate in their respective activities this season. The ladies, just like their male counterparts, won the double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...

 last season. They will compete in the top tier French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 women's division, the Division 1 Féminine, the women's version of the Coupe de France
Coupe de France
The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...

, the Challenge de France, and the UEFA Women's Cup
UEFA Women's Cup
The UEFA Women's Champions League is the first international women's association football club competition for teams that play in UEFA nations. Initially known as the UEFA Women's Cup, the competition has been re-branded since the 2009-2010 edition as the UEFA Women's Champions League...

, where they will begin from the second qualifying round.

Note: For the Olympique Lyonnais women's squad, click here.

Match results


Group B3

For more information, click UEFA Women's Cup 2008-09
EWLINE
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
  Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais (ladies)
Olympique Lyonnais Féminin is a French women's football club based in Lyon. The club has been the female section of Olympique Lyonnais since 2004. Lyon currently play in the Division 1 Féminine and are the defending champions having won the league for five straight seasons.The club was formed as...

3 3 0 0 18 1
17
9
  Arsenal L.F.C.
Arsenal L.F.C.
Arsenal Ladies Football Club are an English women's association football club affiliated with Arsenal F.C.. Founded in 1987, they are the most successful club in English women's football having won 34 major trophies to date; which are 12 FA Women's Premier League titles, 11 FA Women's Cups, ten...

3 2 0 1 13 5
8
6
  SV Neulengbach
SV Neulengbach
SV Neulengbach is an Austrian association football club from Neulengbach. The club was founded in 1923 but is most notably for its women's football section which was founded in 1996....

3 1 0 2 5 17 –12 0
  FC Zürich 3 0 0 3 6 19 –13 0
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