#OL70years one day, one season : 1953-54

Published on 30 May 2020 at 7:00 AM by

In 2020, Olympique Lyonnais celebrates its 70th anniversary. For this occasion, the club, from May 26, the date of the official announcement of the club's creation, will look back into the history of a season every day of the week and thus go back in time to August 27, the date of the team's first official match.

The men of the season

Squad : Belver, Bonvin, Christiansen, Dechoux, Dutto, Duval, Genet, Habera, Hjalmarsson, Jensen, Konrady, Lerond, Manairaud, Misiaszek, Monnet, Ninel, Nowak, Paluch, Piatek, Sarrin, Schultz.

Manager: Oscar Heisserer.

President : Armand Groslevin.

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The story of the season

The club's strategy was bearing fruit. After opting for a season transition the year prior, the ambition of promotion to the first division becomes the goal. To give themselves the means, the squad again needed a few additions. As the young players gained match experience, veteran players arrived to lead the way in the quest for promotion. Ake Hjalmarsson and Erik Jensen arrived between the Rhône and Saône as new members of the team.

These two offensive recruits, well supported by the prolific striker Erny Schultz, were key parts of an eventful and ultimately successful season. Despite suffering some hard knocks such as serious injuries to Lucien Genet and Louis Sarrin, OL relied on a powerful attack (126 goals) to clinch its second title as champion of the second division in its four years of existence and punched its ticket for the top flight!

The match of the season : OL - ASSE

On January 17, 1954, OL, then in Division 2, hosted for the first time, in the Coupe de France, its Stéphanois neighbor, who were then playing in Division 1. In front of nearly 30,000 spectators, OL came through with an enormous achievement in winning (3-0) thanks to goals by Genet, Ninel and Belver.

The men of the season : The fans

On October 11, 1953, more than 2,000 Lyon supporters traveled to Grenoble to support their favorite team. Fifteen days later, more than 33,000 came to the Stade Gerland, a record attendance at the time. During this magical season that concluded with promortion to Division 1, the fans have played a very big role.