European women’s powerhouse Olympique Lyonnais Féminin (Lyon) will rebrand as OL Lyonnes, majority owner Michele Kang announced on Monday.
The Lyonnes name is a play on the term “lioness” and the city’s name, Lyon.
Kang said the team took the liberty of replacing the “i” with a “y” in the French spelling of the word to maintain some connection to the men’s club and the city.
“I hope all French [speakers] forgive us for changing the French word, but we decided that it’s appropriate to make sure that everyone globally and in this country know that we are part of Lyon,” Kang said on stage at the unveiling.
OL Lyonnes’ new logo is a roaring red lioness with blue and gold accents.
“New Story, Same Legend,” is the team’s new motto.
“This is not just about name change or logo change,” Kang said Monday.
Kang also announced that the women’s professional team would swap training facilities with the club’s boys’ academy.
The women’s team will renovate its new space to create a performance center that is “100% intentionally designed for female athletes,” Kang said.
Kang, who Forbes estimates to have a $1.2 billion net worth, will finance the work.
Going forward, the OL Lyonnes will play all games at Groupama Stadium, which seats about 59,000 people…
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