Former Lyon Players Who Succeeded at Europe's Biggest Football Clubs
By Josh Sim
Olympique Lyonnais have developed a number of world-class footballers over the years. Indeed, many of them have tended to impress for Les Gones so much so that they have often secured big moves to play for the top European clubs.
Now that the 2019/20 Ligue 1 season is officially over, the French side look to have another difficult transfer window ahead of them, with young stars Houssem Aouar and Moussa Dembélé both likely to depart in the summer.
With the duo poised to move to a bigger stage, who could they look to emulate in terms of taking the next step to superstardom? Well, here's a list of six former Lyon players who went on to achieve great success after leaving the Stade de Lyon.
Florent Malouda
Having established himself as a star on the left-flank, Florent Malouda enjoyed a superb 2006/07 season for which he was awarded Ligue 1's Player of the Year award.
It earned the winger a transfer in 2007 to the Premier League, with Chelsea narrowly beating out rivals Liverpool for his signature. After a disappointing first season he would become a key figure for the Blues, winning a Premier League and Champions League title during his time in London.
Malouda ended up playing 228 games for the Blues and scored 45 goals before departing for Turkey in 2013.
Michael Essien
Malouda wasn't the first to have joined Chelsea directly from Lyon, as his teammate Michael Essien had made that move just two years prior.
The midfielder also won Ligue 1's Player of the Year before signing for the Blues in 2005 for just over £24m. He would swiftly become a regular for José Mourinho's side, becoming a fan favourite for his high-energy displays and knack for scoring important goals.
Essien would win two league titles and a European Cup at Stamford Bridge.
Hugo Lloris
A consistent performer for Les Gones, Hugo Lloris was at the time highly regarded as one of the finest goalkeepers in the world while in Ligue 1. So it was no surprise that he would move on to the Premier League, with Tottenham, when they bought him for just over £10m in 2012.
Having watched on from the sidelines at the start, he would take over from Brad Friedel as Spurs' first-choice between the sticks by the end of the 2012/13 season. The Frenchman has been pretty much an ever-present for the Premier League club ever since and was awarded with the captain's armband in 2015.
Though he's not been able to inspire his side to silverware, Lloris' displays have earned him global recognition as a top goalkeeper who excels at the highest level.
Miralem Pjanić
Despite having emerged as the ideal replacement to Lyon legend Juninho, Miralem Pjanić fell out of favour with Claude Puel at Lyon, who had just signed Yoann Gourcuff from Bordeaux. As a result, he was often on the bench before AS Roma swooped in to sign him for €11m in 2011.
The midfielder initially found it difficult to break into the first team at the Stadio Olimpico, but after his first season he became one of the first names on the team sheet. His playmaking and set-piece abilities helped him shine for I Giallorossi, and were crucial to the team's chances of challenging for the Serie A title.
His performances in Rome earned him a move to Juventus in 2016, where he's continued to show off his talents on the biggest stage. Even at 30 years old, the Bosnian remains highly regarded, shown by the recently rumoured interest from Chelsea and PSG.
Eric Abidal
A key part of three of Lyon's Ligue 1 title wins, Eric Abidal was widely regarded as a terrific left-back who excelled at both ends of the pitch. Interest from Barcelona was too hard for him to turn down, and he would eventually get his dream transfer to Spain in 2007 for a fee of €9m.
The defender instantly became a regular for La Blaugrana, and would go on to achieve huge success under Pep Guardiola. He became a favourite among players and supporters alike, and his perseverance to overcome his health issues earned him praise from football fans all over the world.
Having won 15 trophies during his playing career at Camp Nou, Abidal now acts as the sporting director for the club.
Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema exploded onto the scene with a prolific two campaigns for Lyon, scoring 54 goals in just two seasons. It gained him the attention of the world's best clubs, with Real Madrid signing him for about €35m.
The striker didn't enjoy a great start to life in Spain due to limited gametime. But he would soon find his groove, and has gone on to win 17 trophies with Los Blancos, while also forming the lethal 'BBC' partnership with Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Frenchman has now played over 500 games for the club to date, and has scored 241 goals. With these achievements, Benzema is arguably the most successful modern player to have left Lyon up to now.
Over to you, Moussa and Houssem. No pressure at all...