The Euro 2025 in Switzerland is reaching its final stages, with a crucial quarter final for OL Lyonnais. Ada Hegerberg and Ingrid Engen represent Norway, a team led by Gemma Grainger who impressed during the group phase with three wins: against Switzerland (2-1), Finland (2-1) and Iceland (4-3). Hegerberg, OL’s iconic striker, scored his 50th goal in the selection during the opening match against Switzerland. Norway is aiming for a third European title, after those of 1987 and 1993, and is entering this quarter-final with a slight advantage over Italy, whose group-phase results have been more mixed (a victory, a draw and a defeat). This game, scheduled this Wednesday evening at 9 p.m., will determine who will face the winner of the Sweden - England match, which will be played on Thursday 17 July at the same time.

In parallel with these sporting developments, OL Lyonnais announces the end of its ten-year partnership with the Dakar Sacré-Coeur. This contract, renewed in 2023, will end in June 2025 and will not be extended. This collaboration, which benefited from the expertise of the Lyon trainers and from numerous training trips to Senegal, puts an end to fruitful cooperation. Several young Senegalese players had joined the Lyon club, but did not break into the professional team. Abdoulaye Ndiaye, for example, joined Brest to move to Ligue 1.

Despite the end of this partnership, opportunities for future collaboration remain, notably with Pierre-Antoine Dorival and Fallou Fall, present in the reserve team of Guéda Fofana. The Dakar Sacré-Coeur has benefited greatly from Lyon’s know-how, as evidenced by the appointment of Philippe Eullaffroy, former technical director in Dakar, at the OL Academy, where he is responsible for the methodology. This decision marks a new step in the evolution of OL’s partnerships, while stressing the positive impact of cooperation with the Sacred Heart Dakar on the development of Senegalese football.