France’s Olympique Lyonnais is now OL Lyonnes, with team owner Michele Kang announcing the Lyon rebrand of the world’s most successful women’s soccer club on Monday.
In an effort to distance themselves further from the men’s side while still paying homage to the team’s home of Lyon, the now-independent club merged the word “lionne,” French for lioness, with the city’s name.
Along with the new name, OL Lyonnes has a refreshed crest, departing from the club’s traditional lion and instead opting for a gold-crowned, blue- and yellow-maned red lioness posed mid-roar.
“This is not about just a name change and some graphic changes,” Kang told reporters on Monday. “This is about giving the most successful women’s team in the world its own platform, its own identity.”
“We’re not a subset of the men’s team. We are a standalone force.”
New facilities to fuel continued OL Lyonnes dominance
The team, whose roster includes USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps, has a history of setting the standard for what’s possible on the women’s pitch.
The eight-time Champions League winners scored their 18th Division 1 Féminine championship in 19 years on…
