Croatia defender Dejan Lovren returns to Lyon

Updated Jan. 2, 2023 6:50 a.m. ET

Associated Press

LYON, France (AP) — French club Lyon has signed Dejan Lovren to a contract until June 2025 as the Croatia defender makes his return to the seven-time champions.

Lovren, who joined Monday from Zenit St. Petersburg, played 102 matches over three years and won the 2012 French Cup with Lyon. He left the club in 2013 and went on to play with Southampton and Liverpool.

The 33-year-old Lovren was part of the Croatia squad that made it to the semifinals at the World Cup in Qatar last month. He has 78 international appearances and also featured at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where Croatia lost to France in the final.

Lovren is expected to reinforce the heart of Lyon's defense, with the club already trailing 20 points behind leader Paris Saint-Germain in the league standings after 17 games.

“I left Lyon in 2013 with regrets because I felt I hadn’t shown everything," Lovren said in a club statement. “I want to prove to everyone what kind of player I really am.”

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