Bruised by the excesses of a fringe of its ultra supporters after the defeat against Strasbourg, Lyon returns to its stadium to heal its injuries against Chambéry, a National 3 club, on Saturday (3:30 p.m.) in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France.
This meeting was relocated to Décines-Charpieu: partner of OL, the Chambéry club which officially receives, did not have an approved installation or a fallback solution.
Facing Racing, after the team bus was targeted by a few dozen individuals, hooded, on its arrival at the stadium, several players were clearly targeted during the match, like Karl Toko Ekambi, returned angry in the locker room, after his replacement, destroying a trash can on his way through the tunnel.
The latter, courted by Rennes, in particular, and some of his teammates, no longer seem able to play at home.
The winter transfer window should be a way out, also allowing to regenerate a breathless workforce.
“
The players have to want to return to Groupama stadium as soon as possible.
And I think it's good to play this match there
, ”said Laurent Blanc.
"
Head in the bag
"
“
We had our heads in the bag for two or three days
,” admits the Lyon coach.
“
It was seen.
It's logical because a defeat is always difficult to take, but with the statistics recorded in the match against Strasbourg (OL dominated, editor's note), it's even harder.
And if we play this way, we will win matches.
But the reality is that we lost
,” Blanc added.
This one assures "
trying to be positive
", since his arrival in Lyon, with his team, affected by the bad results for two years and a classification (9th in Ligue 1) unworthy of the financial means of the club whose turnover is 250 million euros.
“
I'm not changing my way and I hope that will materialize on the pitch and in the matches
,” he says with a smile.
“
I don't know how Saturday's game will be but Chambéry won't open the doors to us.
On all our outings, we get chances.
If we realize our first opportunities, we will have taken a big step.
If we don't manage to do this, as we are used to, it can be complicated too
, ”warns the technician.
To force fate, the coach intends to field "
the best team possible
".
“
It's the cut and the level of the opponent doesn't matter.
If you win, you continue, if you lose, it's over.
When you face a club like Chambéry, if you qualify, you have the result and if you lose, you make the headlines
,” he warned.
But evolving in his stadium remains an advantage, believes Blanc.
"
There is no trap, because outside on small structures, bad weather and catastrophic lawns, it's the total trap.
There, we will still be at the Groupama stadium.
But distrust and respect for this adversary.
Let's play with conviction and the elements that will allow us, I hope, to qualify
”.
