admin
Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
TINO KADEWERE’S French Ligue 1 club, Olympique Lyon, have imploded, with the contract of a Brazilian star set to be terminated while a number of first-team players will be off-loaded.
Club president, Jean-Michel Aulas, is still on leave but could be forced to come back earlier to address the crisis.
While the Zimbabwean international forward is not being targeted in the purge, his Algerian counterpart, Islam Slimani, who has seemingly been favoured by new Dutch coach, Peter Bosz, could be pushed out.
Slimani came off the bench in the home 1-1 draw against Stade Brest in which Kadewere was an unused substitute, while the Algerian started in the shock 0-3 defeat at Angers last week which triggered the chaos.
After a pre-season, which was affected by an injury he carried from the end of last season, it appears Kadewere was slowly being eased into the trenches of first team football by the Dutchman.
However, whatever plans the coach might have had, coming into his new job as the Lyon gaffer appear to have gone off the rails amid the implosion in his camp.
Bosz was a surprise choice for one of the biggest jobs in the French top-flight league, after he was dismissed by Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen in March this year after 11 losses, four wins and three draws in a horror run.
The Dutchman replaced Rudi Garcia, who paid the price at Lyon for failing to maintain a challenge which started well for the Champions League places, with the club ending up with the consolation of a Europa Cup slot.
But just two games into the season, matters came to a head at the weekend as his dressing room exploded in the wake of the demoralising defeat at Angers.
Brazilian centre-back Marcelo was the first to be sacrificed this week for what the club termed “inappropriate” behaviour, following the defeat at Angers.
He was demoted to the reserve team, the first step of the divorce proceedings, which will now see his contract being terminated before the transfer window closes at the end of this month.
Marcelo has been one of the club’s best players, having played 167 matches, across five seasons.
“Olympique Lyonnais announce that, following the defeat at Angers and discussions with the board and coach Peter Bosz, it has been decided that Marcelo will train, with immediate effect, with the PRO 2 squad (reserves), which is made up of many other players under professional contract and managed by Gueida Fofana and Jérémie Bréchet, under the direct supervision of Peter Bosz and his staff,’’ the club said in a statement .
“The inappropriate behaviour of Marcelo, in the locker room after the match in Angers justifies this decision, which was taken unanimously by Olympique Lyonnais’ management team.
“The player was briefed on this decision yesterday afternoon by Juninho (the technical director) and Peter Bosz.
“Olympique Lyonnais’ management reiterates that all of its players must demonstrate an unwavering mindset and a commitment to quickly return to recording results in line with the club’s ambitions.
“Olympique Lyonnais would also like to point out that its management team is actively working on several specific recruitment targets, in close consultation with coach Peter Bosz, and wants to implement a relevant and coherent transfer strategy, without giving into media pressure, in order to take the best opportunities while also considering the current market and the resources available to the club to make good on its ambitions.’’
However, reports indicated that several players, including Slimani, Maxwell Cornet, Thiago Mendes, Houssem Aouar and teenage prospect, Rayan Cherki, would be put on the transfer list.
This is meant to restore order in what many have termed the “ruined atmosphere’’ in the Lyon dressing room.
Bosz did not help matters, either, by suggesting that many of the players, who featured against Angers, were not interested in winning the game for the club.
“Today, Angers was a team, and we were 11 players who did their thing in their corner’’ the Dutchman told the French media.
“We haven’t seen a team that wanted to win, and that bothers me. You have to give 100 percent. This is what I liked in Angers, and that I did not see in my team.
“We can talk about defence, individual problems, but football starts with the mentality of wanting to win. What did we do with the ball? Nothing, we didn’t do anything, we didn’t play fast, nothing.
“I’m worried, it’s driving me crazy, there were supporters today, they came from far away, but what did we give to the supporters?
“Nothing, nothing at all, if we want to win something, the mentality has to change quickly. I didn’t like what I saw today at all.’’
It’s a sharp contrast to what the Dutchman said he wanted to see, when it was announced he would be replacing Garcia, during the off-season.
Just one goal, in his first two matches, and four conceded, doesn’t appear to fit into what he said he was bringing to the club.
“I have a philosophy of offensive play, of attractive football, because we play for the fans and not for ourselves,’’ he told Ligue 1, when he was unveiled.
“I have experience in working with youngsters — and not only with Ajax, but also in Leverkusen with Florian Wirtz, whom I gave a chance at 16. It’s always a question of quality. If the youngsters have the quality, I am not afraid to play them.
“The most important thing is to win, but the way you do it is also important. Here, we want to win and, two, do so in style.”
Whether the dressing implosion will have any effect, on Kadewere’s focus on the game, remains to be seen.
Lyon are set to host Clermont in their next game this Sunday.
Online Reporter
dyton mupawaenda