Lyon general manager Vincent Ponsot believes it was “hard” for the French club “to do worse” after being drawn against West Ham in the Europa League quarter-finals.
David Moyes’ side overcame continental royalty in the form of Sevilla in a famous evening at the London Stadium on Thursday night, turning the tie on its head with a 2-0 win following a 1-0 loss away in Spain earlier this month.
Such a statement victory only underlines the progress the club have made since the Scotsman returned in 2019 and has given them a great opportunity to continue their upward trajectory even after a slight dip in Premier League form.
Proving last season was no flash in the pan, West Ham must surely be considered as one of the best teams in England these days and nights like Thursday will only add further credence to the idea they can lift the Europa League come May.
Speaking after Friday’s draw at the House of European Football in Switzerland, Ponsot admitted his team - currently sitting tenth in Ligue 1 - face quite the challenge.
“It’s a big piece,” he said (via RMC Sport).
“Sixth in the Premier League this year and sixth last year, two points off Chelsea. Big team and big draw, because beyond that there’s the winner of Eintracht Frankfurt-Barcelona. It’s a tough competition, you can see it with all the teams from the Champions League that have been knocked out in the Europa League.
“We knew we’d have big opponents. It’s true that with the current potential draw with West Ham and then potentially Barcelona in the semis, who will need to beat Frankfurt, it’s hard to do worse. We’ll gallantly play our bit.”
