

On a day when French football should be celebrating two of its three Champions League representatives progressing past the group stage, Lyon’s 1-7 victory over Dinamo Zagreb could be about to plunge it into controversy.

A number of newspapers, most notably the Madrid-based Spanish press, have been crying scandal this morning and further evidence has since surfaced in the form of a still framed image of Croatian defender Domagoj Vida looking like he is winking and putting his thumb up after conceding a goal in last night’s match. Lyon went to Croatia effectively needing a six-goal swing to see them through with a favourable result from Real Madrid’s encounter with Ajax which they also got, and were inspired on the night by Bafetimbi Gomis’ four goal haul.

Lyon supremo Jean-Michel Aulas has quickly moved to scotch rumours of match fixing. Speaking to RTL Radio this morning and asked if the game was fixed he said:

“No. I do not understand the Ajax suspicions. As for the Spanish press, I know a little of the origin. This is the pot calling the kettle black. The Ajax manager (Frank de Boer) is not playing very fair. Real Madrid is a big club that plays to the end and José Mourinho wanted to finish the group strongly.”

On the subject of the photo of Vida he said:

“The Croats did not lose on purpose. I did not see the pictures. I would have wanted to comment on the unbelievable result. The Croats played well in the first half. They did not decide to lose the game.”

Moving away from the controversy, OL boss Remi Garde was delighted with his players:

“It’s amazing. What an incredible second half. At half time, it was difficult to believe that we could score three or four goals in just 45 minutes. It’s surreal, extraordinary. It’s difficult to find the words tonight. We spoke before the match about believing in miracles. Our task seemed impossible. So what we achieved was amazing. I chose as many internationals as possible and I had a lot of confidence in them. They repaid me handsomely.”

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Unfortunately Lille did not enjoy the same good fortune and crashed out of Europe altogether following a disappointing 0-0 draw at home to Trabzonspor.

Criticised slightly for his team selection, manager Rudi Garcia had this to say after the match:

“It was a loss for the whole club tonight, and obviously I have my share of responsibility for that. But if we weren’t able to beat Trabzonspor in front of our own fans, then it wouldn’t make sense for us to be one of the last 16 clubs in the competition. We should have scored when we had so many chances in the first half. We just needed a bit more composure; we needed to get more of our shots on target. I told the players that I couldn’t fault them on their performance, that tonight is just part of our apprenticeship at the highest level. We’re motivated to return to the Champions League next season and we know that this will only happen if we bounce back straight away, starting on Sunday with the visit of Dijon. Congratulations to Marseille and Lyon on qualifying. It’s huge for French football.”

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In other news today, Youri Djorkaeff has been linked with the position of Sporting Director at Ligue 2 side Monaco if a proposed takeover bid from Russian magnate Dmitry Rybolovlev is successful. Djorkaeff played for les Monegsasques between 1990 and 1995 and the 43-year old is expected to take up a position similar to that of Leonardo at Paris Saint-Germain.

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Speaking of PSG, the club are apparently deep in discussions with Chelsea and Ivory Coast striker Salomon Kalou over a potential move in January. It is believed that head scout Alain Roche and former Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele have been charged with the task of ensuring that the Ivorian signs for the club.

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Looking ahead to EURO 2012, France’s group opponents England have been boosted by the news that talisman Wayne Rooney will only be banned for two group matches (including the first game against France) after successfully appealing his red card in England’s European Championships qualifier in Montenegro. He will be available to face Ukraine in the third match by which time knowing England, they will already be out 🙂

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According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, PSG are interested in a move for Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez. The player is already in agreement with Italian club AC Milan, though the terms they have offered do not suit Manchester City. Italian press state that PSG are ready to invest somewhere between €20m and €30m in an attempt to sign the Argentine forward.