SC Lyon, the last unexpected

Joana Guerra Mota: published on Thursday 07 January 2021 at 14h54

Considered a favorite at the start of the season, Sporting Club de Lyon surprises with its position at the end of the National 1 classification.

While SC Lyon faces Bourg-Péronnas on January 8 at 8 p.m., the Rhone team is in bad shape, with twenty lengths behind Quevilly, leader of the championship. A difference in points which is surprising since last year, the Lyon-Duchère team, which became the Sporting Club de Lyon this summer, ended its season in eighth position. At that time, the objective was simple for Mohamed Tria, president of the club: to do the maximum to hope to reach Ligue 2, then Ligue 1 by 2024. As a reminder, the formation of the west of Lyon does not ‘has evolved more at the second echelon since the 1990s.

A coach laid off

Since the start of the season, SC Lyon has won only one match, against Bastia (2-0) on November 27, for eight draws and seven games lost. The last defeat took place at home, against Le Mans (1-3) on December 18, just before the winter break. It was also on this day that Mohamed Tria decided to fire his coach, Emmanuel Da Costa. The latter did not last long since he arrived at SC Lyon in September 2020. A few days ago, the Sang et Or formalized the arrival of their new coach: Nicolas Le Bellec. The Frenchman has already worked in this position, notably in Limoges and Cholet. As it will be difficult to climb very high in the standings, the objective has changed. From now on, the team aims to maintain National 1. Mohamed Tria “can’t imagine being in National 2” after all “the means we put in, both financial and human” from comments collected by The team. The players and staff only had a few days to meet their new coach and adjust. This match against Bourg-Péronnas will therefore serve as a test and first impression between the players and Nicolas Le Bellec.

The results of the matches before the break (Friday, December 18, 2020)

Avranches – Villefranche: 1-2; Briochin Stadium – Bourg-Péronnas: 1-1; SC Lyon – Le Mans: 1-3; Cholet – Boulogne: 1-2; Créteil – Concarneau: 1-1; Quevilly – Red Star: 2-2; Orleans – Sète: 2-0; Bastia-Borgo – Laval: 1-3; Annecy – Bastia: 1-1.

The program of the matches of the 17th day

Thursday January 8:

Concarneau – Orléans (6:00 p.m.); Sète – Avranches (6:00 p.m.); Villefranche – Briochin Stadium (6:00 p.m.); Boulogne – Annecy (7:00 p.m.); Laval – Créteil (8:00 p.m.); Bourg-Péronnas – SC Lyon (8:00 p.m.); Bastia-Borgo – Red Star (8:00 p.m.); Le Mans – Cholet (8:00 p.m.).

Tuesday January 11:

Bastia – Quevilly (8:45 p.m.).

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