The ghosts of 1999: a painful debut in European football

In 1999, Lyon made their Champions League debut with high hopes after signing Brazilian striker Sonny Anderson for 125 million French francs (€18 million) and finishing third in Ligue 1. Yet their first taste of elite European football turned into a nightmare. Under manager Bernard Lacombe, they lost 0-1 at home to Slovenian side NK Maribor in the third qualifying round first leg on 10 August, stunned by a late Filipovic strike (89th minute). The return leg in Slovenia on 25 August was even more humiliating, with Lyon crumbling to a 0-2 defeat, goals from Simundza (24th) and Balajic (45th). The French press headline the next day summed it up: « Lyon, the summer flop ».

The team, featuring Anderson, Tony Vairelles, Alain Caveglia, Vikash Dhorasoo, and Grégory Coupet, was bundled into the UEFA Cup. They exited at the Round of 16 stage to Werder Bremen (3-0, 0-4), after overcoming HJK Helsinki (5-1, 1-0) and Celtic Glasgow (1-0, 1-0). Lyon finished third in Ligue 1 in May 2000, also falling short in the Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue quarterfinals.

2013: Griezmann’s revenge leaves Lyon in ruins

Fourteen years later, Lyon had grown into a powerhouse, winning seven Ligue 1 titles (2002-2008) and reaching the Champions League semifinals in 2010 (eliminated by Bayern Munich). Yet August 2013 brought another summer disappointment. After dispatching Grasshopper Zurich in the third qualifying round (1-0, 1-0), Lyon faced Real Sociedad in the playoffs, a team they had once deemed too frail for their youth academy.

The revenge was swift. Antoine Griezmann, overlooked by Lyon years earlier, scored a stunning first-leg winner (17th minute) with a breathtaking left-footed volley that dominated headlines. The Basque side won 2-0 after Seferovic added a second (49th). In the return leg at Anoeta on 28 August, Lyon’s hopes were dashed again, losing 0-2 to a Carlos Vela double (67th, 90+1).

Relegated to the Europa League, Lyon reached the quarterfinals (eliminated by Juventus, 0-1, 1-2) but finished fifth in Ligue 1, exited the Coupe de France in the Round of 16, and lost the Coupe de la Ligue final to PSG (1-2).

2014: Astra Giurgiu’s humiliation shatters Lyon’s streak

« We got destroyed by a bunch of clowns we didn’t even know! » exclaimed Bernard Lacombe, then vice-president, summing up Lyon’s nightmare summer of 2014. In the Europa League playoffs, Lyon was humiliated by Romania’s Astra Giurgiu, a modest side by any standard. Despite a 1-0 away win in the return leg—Jordan Ferri’s 23rd-minute strike—Lyon had already squandered their first-leg advantage, losing 1-2 at home. Goals from Fatai (71st) and Budescu (81st) sealed their fate.

The team, featuring Corentin Tolisso, Christophe Jallet, and Maxime Gonalons, recovered to finish second in Ligue 1 in May 2015, securing their return to the Champions League. Yet the Astra Giurgiu fiasco marked the end of Lyon’s 18-season unbroken streak in European competitions.