Football Season Guide

There can be little doubt that Lyon were Ligue 1’s most disappointing side last season as they finished a lowly eighth in the standings – their worst finish for over 20 years. Head coach Peter Bosz has been given another season in which to continue his work, but the Dutchman can count himself lucky to have been given the opportunity. Over the summer, the club has been partly bought over by American investors they have been setbacks. It appeared Tyrell Malacia was heading to OL for a long period but he ultimately chose Manchester United. Instead, Nicolas Tagliafico has arrived from Ajax to fill a problem position. The only other player to arrive for a fee, meanwhile, is promising Caen youngster Johann Lepenant. Alexandre Lacazette has returned from Arsenal on a free transfer and should prove an excellent acquisition capable of scoring 15 goals in Ligue 1. Corentin Tolisso also returns from Bayern Munich, although he has been plagued with his customary injury issues in pre-season – something that OL will hope does not continue. Interestingly, Lacazette has already been charged with leading a revolt against Bosz, which does not offer much promise ahead of the new season. Nevertheless, it does appear that the squad has been strengthened, with only Leo Dubois departing from the first-team core on Lyon’s books. This is a group, though, that finished outside the European spots last term and did not seem to function particularly well together, with Bosz expressing his frustration at their inability to execute his tactics. A greater clear out might have been beneficial, particularly with Jerome Boateng taking up a big wage but failing to justify it. The leaders of the squad remain largely the same, with Anthony Lopes in goal pivotal and Moussa Dembele a fine attacking option. There are still doubts over the future of playmaker Lucas Paqueta, who is on paper Lyon’s best player, but who has failed to fire so far in 2022. If he stays and returns to his best, this would make a dramatic impact.