Dejan Lovren rejoins Lyon following a decade away, after claiming he left the club ‘with regrets’
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Dejan Lovren rejoins Lyon after a decade away after saying he left the club “with regrets”… while vowing to “show everyone the player I really am” after a three-year stint in Russia.
- Dejan Lovren has rejoined Olympique de Lyon on a two-and-a-half-year contract
- Lovren previously played 72 games for Olympique de Lyon between 2010 and 2013.
- He recently played a significant role in Croatia’s World Cup campaign in Qatar.
- The central defender claimed he had initially left Lyon ‘remorseful’
Croatian defender Dejan Lovren has rejoined Lyon on a two-and-a-half-year contract that the Ligue 1 outfit has announced.
The 33-year-old made 72 appearances for the French club between 2010 and 2013, before moving to Southampton and then Liverpool.
He left Anfield as Premier League champions in 2020 and has since spent the last three years playing for Zenit St Petersburg in Russia.
Dejan Lovren had returned to Lyon for a second spell on a two-and-a-half-year deal.
Lovren welcomed the opportunity to return to Lyon, with the defender admitting he left the club with regret in 2013.
“I am very happy to return to Olympique Lyonnais,” said Lovren. ‘It was the club that opened the doors of international football for me, I will never forget it.
‘I have many memories here, many ties too, especially with President Jean Michel Aulas who has always supported me.
‘I left Lyon in 2013 with regret because I had the feeling that I had not shown everything. I want to show everyone what a player I really am.”
Lovren was an important member of the Croatian team during the World Cup in Qatar
The Ligue 1 outfit said Lovren has a lot of experience at the highest level and has “all the characteristics desired by manager Laurent Blanc.”
The move, which was led by head of recruiting Bruno Cheyrou, was aimed at strengthening the club’s options in central defence.
Lovren has won national trophies in four countries, a Champions League victory and three consecutive World Cup results.
The center has he moved to the club immediately, after he had six months left on his contract with Zenit St Petersburg.
Lyon said Lovren has all the characteristics coach Lauren Blanc wanted.
Lovren sent a farewell message to the Russian Premier League club after his departure.
“I really enjoyed my 2.5 years in the most beautiful city in the world,” Lovren wrote on Instagram. ‘I will carry many beautiful memories in my heart forever. I can proudly say that I enjoyed being your captain.
‘My family and I want to say. Thanks to all the people we met here, all the friendships we built. We will never forget you.
Thank you very much to all the people of the club, I will miss you. To my teammates and to the entire coaching staff, it was a privilege to play with you and work with you. We will remain friends forever.
“I wish you good luck for the rest of the season, I know you can do it.”
Lyon have struggled so far this season and currently sit eighth in Ligue 1.
It could be the boost Lyon need to get their season back on track as they currently sit eighth in the league after 17 games.
They are already nine points out of the Champions League places and 20 points behind league leaders Paris Saint-Germain.
An experienced winner like Lovren could be a key influence if Lyon are to move up the Ligue 1 table as the season progresses.