Lyon’s Laurent Blanc after Coupe de France exit: “Ludovic Blas’ class allowed Nantes to win.” | OneFootball

Lyon head coach Laurent Blanc was upset and frustrated by his side’s loss in their Coupe de France semi-final against Nantes. Les Canaris came away deserving winners after a mature and industrious performance. Nantes’ playmaker and skipper Ludovic Blas scored the only goal of the game with a staggering half-volley that left Lyon goalie Anthony Lopes stunned. “The game was won by a class player’s effort, assessed Blanc in his post-game press conference that L’Equipe attended. They played to their strengths and Ludovic Blas’ class allowed Nantes to win.”

The 1998 World Cup winner stated that his biggest regret was to see his team waver with predictable mpves against a Nantes side that outmatched them physically. “I could have fielded an infinite number of forwards, it would not have been any different”, raged Blanc. “Nantes were much better than us going forward with the ball.“

Lyon have probably fumbled their last chance to qualify for a European competition for next season. Les Gones are ninth with an 8-point deficit on 5th placed Lille, with nine games left to play. “It’s going to be long, added Blanc. But it’s not over yet. How will I motivate my players again? I don’t know. We’ll see.“

GFFN | Bastien Cheval