Ireland U21 defender Jake O'Brien was among the Lyon players confronted by angry supporters, after a 4-1 home defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday night.
O'Brien made the move from Crystal Palace to Ligue 1 last month, and while he is yet to make an appearance for Les Gones, he was an unused substitute on Sunday for the second successive game.
Lyon have started the season poorly, picking up just one win from their opening four games, and as sometimes happens in French football culture, their players hung back on the pitch on Sunday night to face a dressing down from the club's ultra supporters.
Jake O'Brien and teammates confronted by Lyon fans
"To you, the Olympique Lyonnais 2023-2024 squad, this message is addressed to you, to some of you already, to those who assume the status of dressing-room leaders," said a man with a microphone to O'Brien and his new clubmates.
"The message is clear: if there are leaders in this dressing room, they no longer have the right to remain silent. You're wearing the Olympique Lyonnais jersey. You're the ones who wear the OL jersey.
"Others before you have worn it, glorified it. You don't have the right to tarnish it. Now that the transfer window is over, the squad is here. All we ask is to be by your side. But to do that, you're going to have to earn it. We love and respect this shirt.
"We want to sing your names with respect, with love. Because we know you play with love. But we expect you guys to respect our jersey, to pull yourselves up by your bootstraps on the pitch, and if we have to take pills, to do so with our heads held high. Go OL."
😱 Scène surréaliste au Groupama Stadium !
Le capo des Bad Gones prend la parole face aux joueurs de l’@OL !#OLPSG pic.twitter.com/2Pa52WfHRO— Prime Video Sport France (@PVSportFR) September 3, 2023
Lyon struggles
Lyon are currently managed by 1998 World Cup winner Laurent Blanc, and the biggest names in the squad include former Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren and 2018 World Cup winner Corentin Tolisso.
They finished seventh in Ligue 1 last season, and eighth the year before that, and their current team is a far cry from the one that lifted seven league titles in-a-row during the 2000s.
On the bright side for O'Brien, if they keep losing, he might be able to force his way into the team, something which would capture the attention of Ireland boss Stephen Kenny.
