Club History
OL Lyonnes are the most successful club in the history of women’s football, with a record eight Champions League trophies to their name.
Formed in 1970, the club has been home to some of the greatest players in the history of the women’s game, including captain Wendie Renard, who joined in 2006 and remains at the club today. Camille Abily and Sonia Bompastor have also played important roles in the club’s history, with Bompastor now managing Chelsea Women.
OL Lyonnes won their first Champions League title in 2011 before establishing an era of European dominance. They won the competition five consecutive times between 2016 and 2020, while their most recent triumph came in 2022. The club came close to a ninth European crown last season but ultimately lost the final to Barcelona.
The club’s identity also underwent a major change in recent years. In 2022, Michele Kang acquired a majority stake in the women’s team from OL Groupe, providing significant investment. Then, in 2025, the women’s side created an identity separate from the rest of the club, moving away from the shared Olympique Lyonnais name and crest to become OL Lyonnes.
The Road to the UWCL
OL Lyonnes face a demanding route through this season’s Champions League, with some of Europe’s strongest sides standing between them and another final.
Their campaign begins away against Servette before they host Chelsea, followed by home and away fixtures against Inter Milan and Juventus respectively. They then travel to Arsenal before concluding the group stage at home against Hacken.
Chelsea and Arsenal represent the biggest challenges. Chelsea are desperate to win the competition, while their manager previously played for and managed Lyon and led the club to their most recent Champions League triumph in 2022. Arsenal, meanwhile, won the competition in the 2024/25 season after eliminating Lyon in the semi-finals.
OL Lyonnes should have little difficulty competing for a top-four position and automatic qualification, but the level of opposition means they will need to perform at their best throughout the campaign.
Arsenal away could prove particularly difficult given the Gunners’ outstanding record at the Emirates. OL Lyonnes have already shown they can win there, defeating Arsenal 2-1 in 2024/25, although Arsenal responded by demolishing them at Groupama Stadium to progress from the tie.
Summer Transfers and Squad Rebuild
The move to the OL Lyonnes identity in summer 2025 coincided with a significant rebuild of the squad.
The club said goodbye to a number of experienced players, including Eugénie Le Sommer, Ellie Carpenter, Dzsenifer Marozsán, Sara Dabritz, Daniëlle van de Donk, and Vanessa Gilles while Joe Montemurro also departed as manager.
A new generation of talent arrived, with Jule Brand, Ingrid Engen, Giovanna Waksman, Korbin Shrader, and Lily Yohannes joining the squad alongside new manager Jonatan Giráldez.
The rebuild continued this summer, with the club adding even more significant talent in Caroline Weir, Mala Grohs, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd and Salma Paralluelo. At the same time, the club lost players in
cluding Lindsey Heaps, Kadidiatou Diani, Sofie Svava, Maeline Mendy and Alice Sombath.
Despite the scale of the changes, the rebuild has already proven successful. OL Lyonnes won the domestic treble and reached the Champions League final last season, demonstrating that the new squad can compete at the highest level.
The challenge now is to take another step forward and turn last season’s European final appearance into another Champions League triumph.
Players to Watch
There is no shortage of players capable of deciding matches within the OL Lyonnes squad, but Dumorney, Weir, and Becho will be among those to watch closely.
The depth of the squad could ultimately be one of its greatest strengths. Brand, Paralluelo, Bacha, and Chawinga are just some of the players who give Giráldez an extraordinary range of options.
That depth will be particularly important during a Champions League campaign featuring six difficult fixtures, where injuries, rotation, and consistency could all play a role.
Style of Play
OL Lyonnes combine directness and pace with clinical attacking play and extreme physicality.
Their approach has also developed under Giráldez, with elements of tiki-taka becoming more visible within the team’s style. The combination of technical quality and physical strength makes them difficult to contain, while their pace provides another threat when they attack directly.
With such a deep squad, Giráldez has the personnel to adapt depending on the opposition and the demands of each match.
Challenges
There are few obvious weaknesses within the OL Lyonnes squad, but the psychological impact of losing last season’s Champions League final to Barcelona cannot be ignored.
They must also ensure the latest group of new players continues to settle into the squad. The rebuild has already produced impressive results, but maintaining that cohesion against Europe’s best teams will be a different challenge.
Perhaps the biggest question is whether OL Lyonnes can immediately adapt to the increased level of competition they will face in the Champions League.
The domestic level is not as competitive as the WSL, meaning Lyon could suddenly find themselves facing much stronger opposition than they regularly encounter domestically. However, the squad possesses significant experience, with many players having competed in the Champions League for years.
That experience could prove crucial when the margins become smaller against Chelsea and Arsenal.
Can They Finally Regain Domination?
OL Lyonnes remain one of the strongest teams in Europe and are undoubtedly among the leading contenders to win the Champions League this season.
However, returning to the level of domination they once enjoyed may no longer be realistic. There are now too many elite teams capable of challenging for the European crown, with Chelsea, Arsenal, and Barcelona among those capable of preventing any single club from establishing the same dominance Lyon once enjoyed.
That does not mean another Champions League triumph is out of reach.
After winning the domestic treble and reaching last season’s final despite a major squad rebuild, OL Lyonnes have already shown that they can evolve without losing their competitive edge.
The challenge this season is simple: go one step further. If they can overcome their difficult group and maintain their level against Europe’s strongest opposition, there is little reason why OL Lyonnes cannot lift a ninth Champions League trophy.
