Continuing the match in Toulouse, OL showed a more reassuring face Thursday evening against Fenerbahçe (0-0). Despite the lack of victory, the Lyon players demonstrated that they had not given up on Pierre Sage.
He's not a Peter Sage totally smiling who presented himself to the press after the meeting. He was nevertheless a coach rather satisfied with the performance he had just seen for 90 minutes in the deafening atmosphere of Istanbul. Thursday evening, the French coach would obviously have preferred that OL start again from Fenerbahce this Friday with the three points in the pocket and qualification for the eighth almost assured. He will have to be satisfied with a point (0-0) and a little suspense to advance to the next round. However, in the complicated period that the Lyon team and their coach have been experiencing for the past month, the face shown on the banks of the Bosphorus has clearly sent positive signals to Pierre Sage.
OL have reassured themselves even if they are still convalescing, like this offensive ineffectiveness. “We played as a team, with the necessary combativeness. We are starting to find our game again,” welcomed the technician. It will take a little more on Sunday to Nantes to truly find the attractive fall team. Nevertheless, in its search for confidence, the seven-time French champion club takes it step by step in the midst of the squalls which complicate daily life. Among them, the “fragility” where Peter is located Sage since the beginning of the week following information released in the press.
Lacazette: “The players were affected”
Between Fenerbahce et Nantesthe Lyon coach knows that he is playing big. In terms of accounting and play, he did not necessarily score points in Türkiye. However, the body language of its players was light years away from that observed since the resumption in 2025. It is not perfect, but it showed that the group had not abandoned its coach along the way. . Perhaps the rumors from the beginning of the week also made the players aware of their share of responsibility in these turbulences which are spoiling the work carried out for more than a year. Nicholas Puydebois had not failed to point out this reality when defending Pierre Sage. The coach certainly makes the team, but it is the players who are on the pitch.
It’s up to them to return the favor to Pierre Sage who has been able to activate the mental levers since November 2023 to get them out of the mess in which they have been stuck for months. It's a whole group that must stand together, from the staff, to the players, including the managers who would be well advised to bring a little calm. Thursday evening, Alexandre's teammates Lacazette provided some answers, despite a frustrating draw on the appearance of the match. “We always want to win, to play well. The coach trusts his whole group. Seeing the attitude of the group, it showed that we are behind him, declared the captain after the match. All the players were affected by what was said about Pierre Sage, but we are all behind him.”
-“Negative pressure that could have influenced my choices”
John Weaver was waiting for a message from the Lyon group, the American must surely have seen that of a revolt underway. A poor performance in Nantes will call everything into question again, but for the moment, the players have not given up on their coach. The latter, rather diplomatic since taking office, has also left naturalness a little aside to assert his position a little more.
“We really have a very positive relationship with the players. And what I want to tell you is that the famous ultimatum that came out in the press could have had an influence on the way I handled the end of the match. And contrary to what the situation is making me experience, I decided to think about Olympique Lyonnais, about the balance of having a slightly more controlled match at the end and taking advantage of an opportunity rather than giving up. horses and maybe lose the match 1-0 on a counter. It's a very negative pressure which could influence the choices of the coaches and therefore, I invite you to reason, and to avoid relaying this kind of information.
See Peter Sage wishing to dot the i's as he did on Thursday evening in any case clearly shows that the management, rather than thinking about the institution, is currently playing against its camp. Because as Lacazette said, “as soon as we have one or two defeats and the game is going less well, straight away, it's a crisis in Lyon. Everything is not always true.”
