Olympique Lyonnais (OL) has ambitions to strengthen for next season, with particular interest in extending the loan of the Argentine offensive medium, Thiago Almada. After a promising first half of the season, the player’s future could spread between Lyon and Saône. Sources close to the club, including L’Equipe, indicate that OL is exploring the possibility of extending this loan, despite the growing interest of Benfica, another club willing to take advantage of it. There seems to be an agreement between Benfica and Olympique Lyonnais, and OL is seriously considering retaining this player, a decision that would have positive financial benefits for the club, estimated at 28 million euros for 60% of the player’s economic rights. Last season, Almada contributed significantly to OL’s offensive animation, taking part in 21 games, with 2 goals and 5 assists, in association with Rayan Cherki.

At the same time, OL Women face a new controversy. The sexual harassment case involving a former coach, which led to his dismissal and a financial conviction for the club in 2023, resurfaced following an investigation by Mediapart. The Defender of Rights, Claire Hédon, denounced discrimination against young players, including the absence of training agreements for minors until June 2023, a situation deemed unacceptable. This lack of agreements, which guarantee minimum remuneration, is perceived as a lack of support and has led to a condemnation of the club.

OL defends itself by claiming to have been a major player in the evolution of the rules concerning training agreements for players. The club maintains that these conventions were initially set up by the Fédération Française de Football (FFF) under the impetus of its own lobbying efforts, and that OL played a key role in their implementation. The club points out that it has always worked for equality between men and women in football and has managed to change a regulatory framework that it considered anachronistic. OL states that it had no choice but to respect the rules imposed by the FFF before this development, and that it actively contributed to their evolution.