Pretenders to Lyon's throne worry Puel
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Article summary
The latest coach of perennial champions Olympique Lyonnais, Claude Puel says the competition is "always improving" on the eve of the 2008/09 Ligue 1 season.
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Daunting pace
Jacques Santini claimed the first of Lyon's seven titles in 2001/02, and thus far all of his successors have managed to keep the title "entra Saone et Rhone" (between the Saone and the Rhone, the two rivers that flow through Lyon). Paul Le Guen won three titles, Gérard Houllier took two and last season Alain Perrin upped the ante by leading his side to their first ever domestic double.
Bigger achievements
The Lyon job is one no French coach could refuse, but the pressure is on Puel to maintain that winning run. Alongside president Michel Seydoux and executive director Xavier Thuilot, he worked wonders in his six seasons at LOSC Lille Métropole, twice reaching the UEFA Champions League group stage and finishing second in Ligue 1 in 2004/05. Yet bigger achievements will be demanded at Lyon, especially in Europe where they are yet to progress beyond the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.
'New start'
"It's a new start for me," the 46-year-old Puel said. "It will be a challenge and I'm honoured to join." His new test will start on Sunday with a home game against Toulouse FC, also Lyon's opponents on the final day of the season on 30 May. "This league will be tighter than in previous years," added Puel, who spent his entire playing career at AS Monaco FC, making 488 Ligue 1 appearances and winning the 1999/00 title. "Competition is always improving and the advantage Lyon have over everyone else is reducing. It's no longer Lyon and then everyone else."
'G-Force'
Puel sees FC Girondins de Bordeaux as Lyon's main rivals for the season, with the 'G-Force' having signed France Under-21 stars Yoan Gouffran and Yoann Gourcuff and brought former Bayer 04 Leverkusen left-back Diego Placente back to Europe. However, Erik Gerets' Olympique de Marseille will also be a force to be reckoned with. The Belgian has said he is dreaming of the title, but conceded that "the directors won't kill me if we come second."
Dark horses
Paris Saint-Germain FC are, once more, a law unto themselves. The arrival of new president Charles Villeneuve has hopefully signalled the end of two seasons of struggles against relegation, and the signings of Ludovic Giuly and Claude Makelele have caused a stir. AS Nancy-Lorraine, fourth last season, and AS Saint-Etienne could also be dark horses in what promises to be a close-run contest.
