Olympique Lyon believe they are closing the gap but still have a lot of work to do if they are to compete on equal terms with the upper crust of European football.
The six-times French champions, playing in the Champions League last 16 for the fifth year in a row, were knocked out on Tuesday by Manchester United 2-1 on aggregate.
“We now have one thing to think about: qualifying for the next Champions League and showing again the gap with the top clubs has narrowed, because in Manchester, we showed we were not that far,” club president Jean-Michel Aulas told reporters after Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford.
France winger Sidney Govou added: “We fell to a great team, with great names. Yes, we are disappointed because the gap is not that big between the two teams but it is a very difficult one to narrow and, in a way, we are still far behind.”
Do you think Lyon, with all their good young players, can challenge in Europe in the future?
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Not if they leave. And I would be surprised if they stayed around for more than another season, especially if they lose their super-status in Ligue 1. But even if they do stay, I haven’t seen anything from Lyon in european competition that would make me believe they could become a european powerhouse.
- Posted by clement