Daves On Soccer06 April 2005
Olympique Lyonnais
Prompted by Cisko's previous post on the Champions' League match-up between Lyon and PSV, I was motivated to do two things. The first was to verify the complete names of both teams-- Olympique Lyonnais and Philips Sport Vereniging, which translates to Philips Sports Club. Yes, that Philips.
The second was to spend some time commenting on Lyon. This is a club that's headed to their fourth consecutive Championnat, a remarkable enough feat made more so when you consider the amount of player turnover they've endured during that period. Here's a list of the most notable names that have left Lyon in the past 5 years:
Obviously, Lyon has been a popular way station for players whose careers are on the rise. Current hot properties plying their trade at Lyon are dynamic midfielder Michael Essien and impressive Brazilian defender Cris. I'd expect some big European clubs to make serious offers for these players during the summer transfer window. The transfer traffic is two-way however, and the year especially Lyon have benefited greatly by resurrecting the careers of two Premiership cast-offs, Junihno and Sylvain Wiltord. The front office and coaching staff at Lyon have certainly done a masterful job of selecting and integrating players, we'll see if they can manage it once again next season.
The second was to spend some time commenting on Lyon. This is a club that's headed to their fourth consecutive Championnat, a remarkable enough feat made more so when you consider the amount of player turnover they've endured during that period. Here's a list of the most notable names that have left Lyon in the past 5 years:
| Player | Departure Year | Position | Departure Team |
| Sonny Anderson | 2003 | Forward | Villareal |
| Marc-Vivien Foe | 2002 | Midfielder | Manchester City (on loan) |
| Edmilson | 2004 | Defender | FC Barcelona |
| Frederic Kanouté | 2000 | Forward | Tottenham |
| Steed Malbranque | 2001 | Midfielder | Fulham |
| Steve Marlet | 2001 | Forward | Fulham |
| Vikash Dhorasoo | 2004 | Midfielder | AC Milan |
| Giovanni Elber | 2004 | Forward | Borrussia Monchengladbach |
Obviously, Lyon has been a popular way station for players whose careers are on the rise. Current hot properties plying their trade at Lyon are dynamic midfielder Michael Essien and impressive Brazilian defender Cris. I'd expect some big European clubs to make serious offers for these players during the summer transfer window. The transfer traffic is two-way however, and the year especially Lyon have benefited greatly by resurrecting the careers of two Premiership cast-offs, Junihno and Sylvain Wiltord. The front office and coaching staff at Lyon have certainly done a masterful job of selecting and integrating players, we'll see if they can manage it once again next season.
// posted by David Landry @ 15:14 
