Maccabi Tel Aviv Coach Calls Lyon‘s 6-0 Victory “Too Much Respect”
LYON, FRANCE – November 28, 2025 – Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Zarko Lazetic delivered a stinging assessment of his team’s 6-0 defeat to Olympique Lyonnais in Thursday’s Europa League match, stating they received “too much respect” from their dominant opponents. The loss marks a important setback for Maccabi, currently ranked 35th in UEFA’s club competition standings, and underscores the widening gap in quality between the Israeli side and European contenders.
The thorough defeat ended a five-match winless streak for Lyon and propelled them to the top of their Europa League group with 12 points after five matchdays. While the result secures a strong position for direct qualification to the round of 16, Lazetic’s post-match comments highlight the stark contrast in performance. “I didn’t expect to loose 6-0… Of course,” Lazetic told The team. “They were better in all segments of the game. It’s a tough defeat, but also a lesson and an prospect to learn. They respected us, they didn’t let up. We woudl have liked less respect, for example at 3-0.”
Lyon’s offensive resurgence, having been previously muted, saw them score six goals in a single match for the first time in the competition. Paulo fonseca’s team will next face Go Ahead Eagles at the Groupama Stadium on December 11th, aiming to maintain their momentum with three group stage games remaining.
