Sometimes criticized by observers, Nemanja Matic is unanimous internally and Olympique Lyonnais has no intention of parting with him. The Serb is considered a real boss in the eyes of Pierre Sage.
Used 12 times by Pierre Sage since the start of the season, Nemanja Matic no longer has the legs to play matches every three days over several consecutive weeks. The fact remains that the Serbian international is an ultra-valuable player in the eyes of the Olympique Lyonnais coach. The former Stade Rennais defensive midfielder was not always unanimous among observers and supporters, with some judging him to be too slow and borrowed in certain high-intensity displays.
But his return to form at the end of 2024 has clearly changed everyone's outlook. When taking stock of the tops and flops of the calendar year, Progress was also not mistaken in welcoming the stability brought by Nemanja Matic to the Rhone midfielder. “A player with diabolical skill and above-average ease in restarting and keeping the ball, Nemanja Matic, who is 36 years old, is indeed one of the greatest players that OL have welcomed. In thirty-six matches, there was always a moment when he dazzled” underline our colleagues from the regional daily.
Nemanja Matic at OL until 2026 and beyond?
Suffice to say that with such compliments, there is no question for Olympique Lyonnais of parting ways with the former Chelsea captain in the months to come. Despite his impressive salary, the Serbian is in any case not one of the players that John Textor plans to sell in order to recover cash in the weeks and months to come. As a reminder, Nemanja Matic is linked to OL until June 2026 and all the lights are green to see him stay in the capital of Gaul until that date… at least. Pierre Sage, Alexandre Lacazette and Rayan Cherki are the three other “tops” of Progrès in 2024, a much less prosperous year on the other hand for Anthony Lopes, the finances of OL and the excesses in the stands, three elements considered to be the big “ flops” of the calendar year in Lyon.
