CHELSEA WERE NOT the only ones celebrating their victory over Arsenal in Wednesday's Europa League final.
Their 4-1 win in Baku was also great news for French club Lyon, who will now go directly into the group stage of next season's Champions League.
While Arsenal — who finished fifth in the Premier League — needed to win the game in order to return to the Champions League after a two-year absence, Chelsea were already assured of their return to Europe's top table.
Sarri's side qualified by virtue of coming third in the Premier League, so the berth on offer to the winner of Europe's secondary competition instead goes to Lyon.
The French side finished third in Ligue 1, meaning ordinarily they would be required to go through two qualifying rounds to return to the group stage of a competition in which they reached the last 16 this season.
It is the second year running in which Lyon have benefited in such a way – they also came third in Ligue 1 last season but went straight into the group stage after Atletico Madrid won last year's Europa League and finished second in La Liga.
“Bravo to Chelsea for this beautiful victory in the Europa League thanks to N'Golo [Kante] and Olivier who gave us the happiness to participate in the group phase of the Champions League,” Lyon owner Jean-Michel Aulas wrote on Twitter. “Bravo and thanks to Bruno for this tremendous performance.”
poser
817
The most happy day for Manchester United fans, finally there is a big6 to accompany him not to participate in the Champions League, hahaha
continental
77
The Dutch champions still have to participate in the qualifications... It seems that Lyon is really lucky
Billeorck
68
Arsenal fans should miss Wenger as the head coach. Although there is no champion, at least they can enter the top four in the league.
darknesss
65
Lyon fans need to thank Lacazette as a Frenchman. If it is not a waste of his chance, Arsenal will enter the Champions League.
Galebale
59
Lyon fans: Thanks to Atletico Madrid and Chelsea, let us enter the Champions League directly for two consecutive seasons without having to participate in the qualifications
binaries
55
Manchester United and Arsenal are the everlasting suffering brothers, while honoring and falling
lover2
55
It’s no wonder that there are so many Lyon fans cheering Chelsea these days. Just for this, hahaha.
stenco2017
45
So for two seasons now Lyon has been relying on other peoples success to go to the group stage of UCL..