Lyon chief shocked at Govou comments

Lyon presidential advisor Bernard Lacombe is "shocked" at Sidney Govou's announcement that he wants to leave, insisting the winger "does not have the right" to attack the club.

Govou, who has spent his entire career at Lyon, stunned fans on Wednesday morning when he launched a scathing attack on the club and Claude Puel, revealing he has no relationship with his coach. And Lacombe has been left stunned by the 30-year-old's comments.

"Sidney's comments are regrettable. When you know the lad like I know him, you can't be anything but shocked," said Lacombe. "In this interview he gave to L'Equipe he attacked the club."

He added: "I think we have certainly done a lot for him, more than for the others. It's a bit uncalled for that he's making these type of comments.

"He does not have the right, I repeat it, to touch the club.

"He has achieved superb things and won everything with the club. But these different victories do not allow him to speak no matter what. It's a bit surprising, he was tactless.

"I don't understand what he wants to get from this.

"If I remember rightly, it was Claude who chose him as captain at the beginning of the season and the club offered him a two-year contract extension because they had confidence in him.

"Then, after certain events that everyone is aware of, we simply explained to him that we would keep this offer on the condition that his behaviour remained exemplary."

Govou, 30, was stripped of the captaincy following a drunken incident in October.