After spending almost four years in the background, Olympique Lyonnais might have to do so again following the resurgence of AS Monaco. However, the Ligue 1 giants have a president who might have a plan.
From 2002 till 2008, it was Olympique Lyonnais who were the undisputed kings of French football. Before the turn of the millennium, Les Gones had not won a single Ligue 1 title. However, under the astute presidency of Jean-Michel Aulas, the Rhone club went from strength to strength and won seven consecutive Championelles, a record that has not been matched by any side in the major European Leagues.
Those were the golden days of the residents of Stade de Gerland, boasting talents such as Florent Malouda, Sidney Govou, Karim Benzema, Michael Essien, Cris and Juninho Pernambucano. Those players were the cornerstones of a side that achieved so much in those ten years.
But the winds have changed for the club which has failed to assert the same dominance in recent years. The club struggled to win anything for the next three years under the management of Claude Puel.
In came Remi Garde about two years back and finally guided the club to a Coupe de France triumph in 2012. That was the season in which the club had missed out on a place in the Champions League for the first time in over 15 years.
Today, the future of the club is at crossroads with the recent emergence of Paris Saint-Germain and AS Monaco, two clubs whose rich owners have pockets as deep as the Laurentian Abyss. The financial crisis hit the likes of Olympique Lyonnais and Olympique de Marseille very hard which was the reason why the presidents of both clubs had to implement new austerity measures.
It is quite hard to imagine that a club like Lyon that spent more than 70 million euros on new recruits like Yoann Gourcuff a few years back, is now looking for bargain deals and free agents. That is definitely not the kind of team Aulas used to preside over. However, the Frenchman has shown himself to be a man who can be adaptable when it’s necessary.
After Puel’s obvious failure of not getting the best out of a team that was oozing with talent, Aulas chose to bring in Remi Garde who was the technical director of the club’s youth academy at that time. And with the arrival of the former Arsenal and Lyon player, came the philosophy of utilising the club’s excellent youth academy, Le Tolo Vologe at its best.
Shorn of necessary funds to sign established players, Les Gones tried out academy players like Alexandre Lacazette, Maxime Gonalons, Clement Grenier and went for bargain signings from Ligue 2, the best of which was young Samuel Umtiti, a versatile defender who might be the cornerstone of France’s central defence in the future.
Slashing down the bulging payroll was another thing that the club needed to do and Aulas was willing to impersonate the role of a villain by getting a go at a few senior players at the squad in front of the media.
Though the likes of Cris, Kim Kallstrom and a few others left with a bad taste in their mouth, Lyon’s financial situation improved and so did the younger players at the academy. Even now, there are a lot of young players at the academy waiting to be given the chance to shine for the club which just goes on to show that a lot of good work and money has been poured into the youth teams.
Indeed Aulas has lost quite a few friends along the way in the past two years, but one has to say that the man has been very steadfast in his approach and has not once hesitated in alienating a player he feels is a hurdle in the way of the progress of a young player.
Bafetimbi Gomis is the latest example of a player who is being forced out of the club. Les Gones cannot afford his salary and are keen on offloading a player who was the team’s top scorer from last season.
The departure of the France international will see Lisandro Lopez return to a position where he is at his best and though many people have criticised the way Aulas has treated Gomis, all of this would be forgotten once Lyon start putting in fine performances week in week out.
In short, a club that has to think and spend wisely in the transfer market, needs a leader who is willing to face the music for taking bold decisions and letting go of star players for the good of the team and Aulas has once again proven to be the man who will eventually take the club out of the woods.
On June 15, 1987, Aulas took charge of the club with the view of making it a force in France and in Europe. At that time, the club was under a lot of debt and reportedly, on the verge of extinction.
However, the Frenchman paid off all the debts and in a span of two decades, transformed the Rhone club into a true force in France and a small power in Europe. Today, with the club struggling financially again, Aulas is indeed the right man for the job and will eventually guide the club to better days once again.
Those were the golden days of the residents of Stade de Gerland, boasting talents such as Florent Malouda, Sidney Govou, Karim Benzema, Michael Essien, Cris and Juninho Pernambucano. Those players were the cornerstones of a side that achieved so much in those ten years.
But the winds have changed for the club which has failed to assert the same dominance in recent years. The club struggled to win anything for the next three years under the management of Claude Puel.
In came Remi Garde about two years back and finally guided the club to a Coupe de France triumph in 2012. That was the season in which the club had missed out on a place in the Champions League for the first time in over 15 years.
Today, the future of the club is at crossroads with the recent emergence of Paris Saint-Germain and AS Monaco, two clubs whose rich owners have pockets as deep as the Laurentian Abyss. The financial crisis hit the likes of Olympique Lyonnais and Olympique de Marseille very hard which was the reason why the presidents of both clubs had to implement new austerity measures.
It is quite hard to imagine that a club like Lyon that spent more than 70 million euros on new recruits like Yoann Gourcuff a few years back, is now looking for bargain deals and free agents. That is definitely not the kind of team Aulas used to preside over. However, the Frenchman has shown himself to be a man who can be adaptable when it’s necessary.
After Puel’s obvious failure of not getting the best out of a team that was oozing with talent, Aulas chose to bring in Remi Garde who was the technical director of the club’s youth academy at that time. And with the arrival of the former Arsenal and Lyon player, came the philosophy of utilising the club’s excellent youth academy, Le Tolo Vologe at its best.
Shorn of necessary funds to sign established players, Les Gones tried out academy players like Alexandre Lacazette, Maxime Gonalons, Clement Grenier and went for bargain signings from Ligue 2, the best of which was young Samuel Umtiti, a versatile defender who might be the cornerstone of France’s central defence in the future.
Slashing down the bulging payroll was another thing that the club needed to do and Aulas was willing to impersonate the role of a villain by getting a go at a few senior players at the squad in front of the media.
Though the likes of Cris, Kim Kallstrom and a few others left with a bad taste in their mouth, Lyon’s financial situation improved and so did the younger players at the academy. Even now, there are a lot of young players at the academy waiting to be given the chance to shine for the club which just goes on to show that a lot of good work and money has been poured into the youth teams.
Indeed Aulas has lost quite a few friends along the way in the past two years, but one has to say that the man has been very steadfast in his approach and has not once hesitated in alienating a player he feels is a hurdle in the way of the progress of a young player.
Bafetimbi Gomis is the latest example of a player who is being forced out of the club. Les Gones cannot afford his salary and are keen on offloading a player who was the team’s top scorer from last season.
The departure of the France international will see Lisandro Lopez return to a position where he is at his best and though many people have criticised the way Aulas has treated Gomis, all of this would be forgotten once Lyon start putting in fine performances week in week out.
In short, a club that has to think and spend wisely in the transfer market, needs a leader who is willing to face the music for taking bold decisions and letting go of star players for the good of the team and Aulas has once again proven to be the man who will eventually take the club out of the woods.
On June 15, 1987, Aulas took charge of the club with the view of making it a force in France and in Europe. At that time, the club was under a lot of debt and reportedly, on the verge of extinction.
However, the Frenchman paid off all the debts and in a span of two decades, transformed the Rhone club into a true force in France and a small power in Europe. Today, with the club struggling financially again, Aulas is indeed the right man for the job and will eventually guide the club to better days once again.
