Olympique Lyonnais (commonly referred to as "Lyon") was founded in 1950 and is a professional football club based in Lyon, Auvergne-RhΓ΄ne-Alpes, France. Nicknamed "Les Gones," which means "the kids" in the Lyon dialect. The club's predecessor was Lyon Olympique, which was established in 1896 as Lyon Athletic Club, and in 1899, the "Olympique Lyonnais Football Club" was formed under LOU.
They began to make their mark early on, quickly rising to Ligue 1 and winning the Coupe de France three times (in 1964, 1967, and 1973). The real turning point came in 1987 when businessman Jean-Michel Aulas acquired the club, leading to an astonishing rise for Lyon, who became the dominant force in Ligue 1 (achieving a record seven consecutive titles from 2002 to 2008) and grew into a strong contender in European football (reaching the UEFA Champions League semifinals in 2010).
Olas held the position for 36 years, winning over 50 championships. At the end of 2022, the club was acquired by American businessman John Textor, and Olas stepped down in May 2023. In the early days of the Textor era, the team faced challenges and was once on the brink of administrative relegation in 2025 due to financial issues.
With Textor's resignation, one of the shareholders, American businesswoman Michelle Kang, took over as president at the end of June 2025, ensuring the club remained in Ligue 1. Under Michelle Kang's leadership, this historic French club began a new chapter.