As the Lyon players celebrated what turned out to be the winning goal over Paris Saint Germain in Sunday's Ligue 1 clash, it was startling to see goalscorer Jordan Ferri in the middle of the ruck, visibly appealing to his teammates for calm. The 22-year-old midfielder, whose curling shot had just put Lyon ahead after 31 minutes
refused to get excited, perhaps already turning his mind to repelling the PSG attacks which inevitably followed. Lyon eventually held out for the win, and Ferri's stoicism neatly embodies the careful rebuilding project underway at Lyon, as
Les Gones look to regain their dominance in French football.
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| Not getting carried away: Lyon's Jordan Ferri |
Not armed with the staggering wealth of PSG or AS Monaco, Lyon owner Jean-Michel Aulas has recently sought to develop Lyon into a self-sustaining club which can once again claim domestic titles and compete in the latter stages of the Champions League, as
l'OL did in the early 2000s. Central to this business plan is the opening of the club's
eye catching new 58,000-seat stadium in the Decines suburb of the city, which will generate considerably more in match-day revenue than the current Stade de Gerland. The new Stade des Lumieres, which is set to host a number of matches in the next European Championships, is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2016.
On the pitch, meanwhile, expensive foreign imports in the mould of Juninho, Lisandro Lopez and Michel Bastos have been eschewed in favour of graduates of a youth system which has already produced the likes of Karim Benzema and Loic Remy. Current manager Remi Garde, best known to English fans for an unspectacular spell at Arsenal in the early Wenger years, is beginning to enjoy success in blending Lyon's youngsters with established French internationals such as Yoann Gourcuff and Bafetimbi Gomis. After recovering from a poor start to the league season, Lyon currently sit fifth in Ligue 1's table, and can also look forward to meeting PSG again in Saturday's Coupe de la Ligue final.
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| Remi Garde's young squad are improving quickly |
Garde's side have lost just three times in their last 18 league games, and although the chances of bridging the nine-point gap to third-placed Lille in the last Champions League place look slim with just five league games remaining, Lyon's good form bodes well for next season. Similarly encouraging are the performances of Lyon's next generation, with the likes of Clement Grenier, Maxime Gonalons and the aforementioned Ferri particularly impressive in a well-balanced midfield unit. Grenier, who was the subject of Newcastle's customary "couldn't quite get it over the line" interest in January, provides the
creativity and precision set-pieces, whereas club captain Gonalons is an athletic enforcer who is equally comfortable sitting in front of the defence or pressing higher up the pitch. Ferri, meanwhile, is a diminutive but tenacious hustler with an eye for the
spectacular.
In attack, 22-year-old striker Alexandre Lacazette has added composure to his searing pace in order to score 14 goals so far this season, drawing interest from the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. Perhaps Lyon's most promising youngster, however, is at the other end of the pitch in the shape of 23-year-old goalkeeper Anthony Lopes. Lopes, who was born in France but has received call-ups for the Portuguese national team, made a string of fine saves in the narrow Europa League defeat to Juventus, as well as Sunday's win over PSG. It is equally impressive, meanwhile, that Lopes recalls former Lyon 'keeper Hugo Lloris in his ability to command the penalty area and sweep up any loose balls behind the defence.
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| Young goalkeeper Anthony Lopes impressed against Juventus |
Lopes and his defence can expect to be tested when they face PSG in Paris' Stade de France this Saturday, particularly if PSG's talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic recovers from a thigh injury in time to participate in the Coupe de la Ligue final. Ibrahimovic, who was absent in the recent defeats at Lyon and Chelsea, adds an extra dimension to PSG's already potent attack and has already claimed 40 goals in all competitions this season. Garde's Lyon, however, will look to attack in the hope that PSG's exit from the Champions League, coupled with Sunday's shock defeat at the Stade de Gerland, will have dented the French champions' previously unshakable confidence.
However this young Lyon team fare in Saturday's final, it is clear that Garde and Aulas are gradually building a team of home-grown players which may soon be able compete with the star-studded lineups of PSG and Monaco. Moreover, Lyon's new stadium reflects Aulas' desire to create a stable and sustainable football club where a successful team can be constructed in time. While the foreign owners of PSG and Monaco continue to marginalise their own young players in favour of talent brought into Ligue 1 by eye-watering transfer fees and wages, Lyon fans will be confident that their club's patient model of business may pay dividends in the long run.
