Anthony Lopes’ painful fall

Anthony Lopes has Olympique Lyonnais in his heart and in his skin. It’s undeniable! But for a few months now, the relationship between the Portuguese and the Gones has completely changed. Undisputed starter in the goalkeeping position, the native of Givors, who is still attached to the Gones, has simply been downgraded. It all started last year. While the residents of the Groupama Stadium were experiencing a calamitous start to the season, the goalkeeper born in 90 was the target of much criticism regarding his level of play. Like his team, he did not, indeed, shine. To make matters worse, he quickly felt the breath of the Lucas Perri threat on the back of his neck. Indeed, several Brazilian media outlets continually mentioned John Textor’s desire to recruit the Brazilian to Lyon.

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A goalkeeper that the American knew perfectly since he was playing at the time at Botafogo, one of the clubs in the Eagle Football galaxy. Convinced by his qualities, his talent and by Textor, OL officially recruited him on January 5th. “Olympique Lyonnais is pleased to announce the arrivals from Botafogo of goalkeeper Lucas Perri and central defender Adryelson for a sum of €3.250 million and €3.580 million respectively, to which may be added a 50% interest on a possible future transfer. Called up for the first time to the Brazilian national team this season, the two international players have signed with Olympique Lyonnais until June 30, 2028.”could be read on the press release. Despite the confidence of the president of OL, Pierre Sage kept Lopes in goal for the rest of the season. Perri, himself, began to acclimatize to French football during the Coupe de France.

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A delicate situation to live through

But this summer, the Auriverde goalkeeper was officially inducted as number 1 by Pierre Sage. During this time, OL had opened the door to the departure of Anthony Lopes, whose contract expires in June 2025. Aware of his club’s desire for change for several months, the Portuguese player studied the options available to him. Once linked to Saudi Arabia, he was approached by FC Nantes and Strasbourg this summer. But he did not find the right fit. Which did not go down well with OL, who did not appreciate that he refused all offers and stayed at the club while receiving one of the highest salaries in the professional group. Despite this, the Gones decided to recruit a replacement for Perri in the person of Rémy Descamps. Lopes, for his part, was more than ever sidelined. Absent from the Ligue 1 squad, he was not included in the list of 25 players selected to participate in the Europa League.

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Another blow for Lopes, who suffers in silence. Criticized by some of the supporters last year, he can nevertheless still count on the support of the Bad Gones, of which he is a former member. On Sunday, during the Olympico, they also sent a message to the Portuguese. “A Gone here since he was 8 years old deserves better treatment! Strength to you Antho.” This really touched the Lyon-trained player. He responded the same evening on his account Instagram. “Thank you, Gones”he posted. This caused a reaction since some fans criticized him for his message while OL had just been beaten 3-2 by OM. In any case, Anthony Lopes is at an impasse today. But it is he who declined opportunities. According to sources at the club, he is not coping well with his situation. Others even mention a certain anger on his part, particularly concerning his management. Which can be understandable after so many years at the club. But OL has already turned the page. Lopes, himself, still has a few months to do so while his story with the Gones will officially end on June 30, 2025.

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