The recent confrontation between Olympique Lyonnais and Manchester United in the Europa League was preceded and marked by a controversy involving Cameroonian goaltender André Onana. Even before the start of the round-trip game, he had publicly expressed doubts about the level of the Lyon team, sparking a scathing line from the midfielder of the Gones, Nemanja Matić, who called him a “worst guardian of the history of the Red Devils”. This verbal altercation created a palpable tension, amplified by the whistles fed by the Lyon public throughout the meeting, and culminated with direct mistakes of the guardian, having led to the goals of Olympique Lyonnais.

Following this disappointing performance and subsequent bitter criticism, André Onana was left on the bench in the championship game against Newcastle, a decision that proved costly, with Manchester United taking four goals. Nevertheless, against the approach of the return match of Europa League, coach Rúben Amorim decided, confirming the tenure of the Cameroonian goaltender. The Portuguese coach, based on his experience as both a coach and a player, stressed the need for careful physical and mental management of players in such a tense context, saying that Oanan was ready to take up the challenge.

In anticipation of this crucial meeting, the Lyon public will once again have to measure themselves against the presence of André Oanan, whose performance will be scrutinized with particular attention. Rúben Amorim expressed his confidence in the guard’s abilities, recalling that he had already demonstrated his value during his visit to Inter Milan. The coach pointed out that the team’s success was based on sound decisions and ensured that Oanan had been given a week of rest to prepare mentally and physically for this crucial deadline.