No club in any of Europe's five largest leagues had previously won seven consecutive titles before Olympique Lyonnais completed the French domestic double last season. But successful clubs thrive on constant ambition, and under new coach Claude Puel they are now limbering up in the Alps for a campaign they hope will bring them long-awaited success on the European stage.
Ambition
Puel joined from Lille LOSC Métropole to succeed Alain Perrin this summer and although French internationals Grégory Coupet and Hatem Ben Arfa have departed, goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, Brazilian playmaker Ederson, Cameroon midfielder Jean II Makoun and teenage playmaker Miralem Pjanić have arrived and are training along with the rest of the squad, minus their resting UEFA EURO 2008™ participants, in Tignes. Having previously led AS Monaco FC to the Ligue 1 title, Puel declared: "I have ambition. I am rooted to the club's values so that we can shine on the domestic stage, with an eighth title, and on the European stage. Being successful at home is necessary if we want to perform in Europe. I came to Lyon to win trophies and the UEFA Champions League is one of them."
New structure
Puel may have played in the semi-finals with Monaco, but OL have never progressed past the last eight in Europe's premier club competition. The change of management is part of an attempt to address that as well as revamp the club, with president Jean-Michel Aulas explaining why he has appointed his fourth coach in as many years. "This is a strategic move," he said. "We thought we had to progress and change. This is the right moment to put a new organisation in place. Claude Puel will be able to co-ordinate the whole team from the youth to the professional squad."
'Let's progress'
The new coach twice took Lille to the group stage in his time in charge, but the 47-year-old is not going to take his eye off the Ligue 1 ball. "We play every competition to win it but if we want success in Europe we have to be solid in our own league," he said. "We have to be consistent." Concurring, Aulas added: "[Champions League] matches depend on small details. We need a good team, a good coach and some luck. During the next four years we want to achieve more than our three quarter-finals. But we should not aim for the impossible. Let's progress and we will not be far from it." Lyon begin their season with the Trophée des Champions, France's Super Cup, against FC Girondins de Bordeaux on 22 August. Toulouse FC visit in the league eight days later.
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