OL’s Win against Rennes Fails to Quell Fan Discontent Although OL managed a 3-1 win against Rennes, the celebration was a muted one due to the disappointment of their exit from the Coupe de France. Fans of the club expressed their frustration by protesting the performance. In a Twitter statement released on Monday, Jean-Michel Aulas expressed his support for the team while acknowledging the frustration of the OL supporters. The victory against Rennes on Sunday at the Groupama Stadium seems to have somewhat calmed the anger of the supporters. However, there is still a lot of frustration among the Rhone’s supporters. “Our record: two good victories, but one defeat that cuts deep like a chop, and which prevented us from sleeping. It is disappointing to exit the Coupe after such a great run that should have ended at the Stade de France. Naturally, this is affecting us all – supporters, players, staff, and the people of Lyon. Nobody wanted it to end like this,” said Jean-Michel Aulas in a Twitter statement. The defeat in the semi-final of the Coupe de France to Nantes (1-0) a few days earlier had been a major let down for the Lyon team, as they had failed to salvage their disappointing season. Particularly aggravating was that none of the top French clubs – PSG, OM, or Lens – were still in the competition. The OL players missed a chance to bring home the title, which only served to anger the supporters further, especially the Bad Gones. “As a family, we sometimes argue and become angry, but in the end, we love each other and our club too much to assume the responsibility of destroying it due to our excesses,” added the club president in his statement. Jean-Michel Aulas, the first to be disappointed by the less-than-impressive season, made it clear that he supported the team unequivocally. “The players know this, and we talked about it. We must remain mobilized for the rest of the season, match after match. We must support all players who want to fight to regain the heights, especially the younger ones, because it is through encouragement that they will get the best results, not from jeers, which the sirens who want to lure them into their nets will take advantage of,” emphasized Aulas. In the league, OL has not lost a game since February 17th (24th round) and currently stands at seventh place in Ligue 1. Thanks to their good form, demonstrated by their win against PSG last week, the Rhone club can even hope to qualify for European competitions. After a catastrophic start to the season, it is almost a miracle for the club. “When I read that Laurent Blanc and the winter transfer window had not improved the team, I discovered, not from the press, but from passionate individuals, that Olympique Lyonnais is tied for first place in the second half of the season with Paris and Reims, when we were ninth in the first half of the season,” said Jean-Michel Aulas. The president hopes that his encouragement will be heeded by the supporters who are not at all satiated. Despite the win against Rennes, feelings are mixed among the OL supporters, who have expressed their disappointment and frustration with the team’s lacklustre season. The remaining matches will be crucial in determining whether they can regain their form and achieve success in the coming seasons.
