At OL Park,
Throat tingling quickly unbearable (thank you tear gas) during an interview with Jean-Michel Aulas in the mixed zone, then a press briefing by Laurent Blanc relocated to the lawn, around 11:50 p.m., as the Lyon auditorium had become inaccessible. Here are the unexpected consequences caused by OL’s eighth defeat in Ligue 1, Saturday against Strasbourg (1-2). Because the big premiere of the new Lyon boss John Textor was above all marked by excesses behind the scenes, even before the incredible scenario of this 19th day of the championship.
“It’s a feeling of waste because as soon as we arrived at the stadium, our bus was attacked by supporters, points out Jean-Michel Aulas. There have been acts of violence that I regret. A few minutes before the match, having this emotion of firecrackers going off under the bus, of sudden shocks, I’m not sure that’s compatible with a big match like we were about to do…”
An air of OL-West Ham in the post-match
The president of Olympique Lyonnais was all the more disillusioned, after this surprising defeat, that he had met a group of supporters on Saturday morning, alongside John Textor. “It went very well and they had to remain non-violent,” continues JMA. It is obviously not insignificant to see the players of Laurent Blanc suffer such a strong welcome from their own supporters. A rare event in the history of OL which says a lot about the fed up of turns, tired of the downgrading of a club without the slightest trophy for almost 11 years, and off the podium in Ligue 1 since 2019. “We were aware of the situation and we knew that only a victory could calm them down,” captain Alexandre Lacazette told Prime Video shortly after the final whistle on Saturday. We hope that there will not be too many overflows, even if we understand their dissatisfaction. »
There were still some, since the security agents had to work, with grids and CRS in support, for about ten minutes, to prevent the invasion of the field of dozens of supporters, especially on the side from the north bend. Boosted, they seemed ready for anything, like last April, after the European fiasco suffered against West Ham (0-3). This was confirmed half an hour later, when nearly 100 individuals, most of them hooded, sought to return to the bays of Parc OL. Clashes then broke out with the CRS near the security headquarters of the enclosure. Firecrackers and stone throwing on one side, against tear gas canisters on the other, which made the corridors of the Parc OL unbreathable for long minutes. The rest of the season for OL (8th), 19 points from second place, its stated goal last summer, is not far from it.