Manchester United’s partner club Lausanne have been knocked out of the Europa Conference League.
There was disappointment and some confusion when Manchester United loanee Sekou Kone wasn’t included in Lausanne’s Europa Conference League squad.
What was the point in sending a young midfielder to a club where he wasn’t valued enough to play a big part?
The move highlighted a potential disconnect within Ineos, who own Lausanne and also hold a large stake in Manchester United.
But now, Lausanne’s decision on Kone doesn’t matter much anymore after they were eliminated from the Europa Conference League.
Lausanne knocked out of Europa Conference League
Lausanne have been knocked out of the Europa Conference League following a home defeat to Czech side Sigma Olomouc.
The Swiss club lost 2-1 at home after a 1-1 draw in the first leg, ending their hopes of progressing further in the competition.
It wraps up what had been a promising run, starting back in July with the qualifiers and highlighted by their win over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Besiktas to reach the group stage.
They did enough to reach the Round of 16 playoff but couldn’t advance any further. Sekou Kone’s absence didn’t help their cause, and depending on how things play out, it might be a decision they come to regret.
Enzo Kana-Biyik, on loan from Manchester United, came off the bench in the 84th minute but couldn’t influence the result.
Their goal came from Omar Janneh, a young striker who joined permanently from Atletico Madrid in January. He now has five goals in nine appearances for Lausanne.
Kone left out
Lausanne’s season hasn’t gone to plan, sitting ninth in the league and unlikely to qualify for European football next season.
Kone has made just two league appearances for the club. His last outing was a short cameo against Lugano, where he managed to show some promise despite limited time on the pitch.
Even with just 26 minutes played, it was a tidy display that suggested he could have contributed more had he been included in the Conference League squad from the start.
With Lausanne now out of Europe, there will be fewer chances for rotation, making it harder for Kone to find regular minutes.
He’ll need to make an impression in whatever chances come his way if he wants to break into the starting side more often.
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