After 36 years at the head of Olympique Lyonnais, Jean-Michel Aulas leaves the management of the club – Liberation

2023-05-08 10:12:59

The emblematic president of the Rhone club has been replaced since May 5 by the American John Textor who bought OL last December.

The end of an era in Lyon. The emblematic president of Olympique Lyonnais, Jean-Michel Aulas, left his place as CEO of OL Groupe to the American John Textor who had bought the Rhone club last December, announced Monday its governing bodies.

“During its meeting held on May 5, the board of directors of OL Groupe appointed John Textor as chairman of the board of directors from May 5 and until the end of his term as director. , following the termination of Mr. Jean-Michel Aulas’ duties as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of OL Groupe”the club said in a statement.

Sporting dissensions

“Mr. Textor was also appointed as CEO of OL Groupe from May 5 for an interim period, the time to identify and appoint a new CEO.added OL, specifying that Aulas would be “named honorary president”. The 60-year-old was initially to remain executive chairman for a three-year contract after the club was taken over. But disagreements on the sports policy to be pursued quickly appeared with the team of the ambitious American investor, already present in the capital of Crystal Palace (England) and Botafogo (Brazil).

“OL Groupe is happy to be able to continue to benefit from the expertise and support of Mr. Jean-Michel Aulas. All stakeholders are grateful to him for his commitment and his leadership qualities which have enabled the club to become a stronghold of European football for both men and women.”also pays tribute to the new management in the same press release.

The Lyonnais, CEO of Cegid, a company specializing in management software packages listed on the stock exchange since 1986, took over the presidency of OL in June 1987 when the team, penniless, had been vegetating in the 2nd division since its relegation in 1983. It took two years to get back into the top flight (1989) before returning to the European Cup in 1991.

Take off in the late 90s

Olympique Lyonnais definitely took off at the end of the 1990s with two 3rd places in the French Championship (1999, 2000), a victory in the Coupe de la Ligue and a 2nd place in 2001. The beginnings of a reign unchallenged in Ligue 1, which will see him chain seven consecutive titles of champion of France (2002 to 2008), epics in the Champions League with the Brazilian Juninho and the Frenchman Karim Benzema. Lyon also won the Coupe de France in 2008 for the only cup-league double in its history before a final victory in the Coupe de France in 2012, the last title obtained.

Aulas, a tireless builder, also inaugurated Groupama Stadium in January 2016, a 59,000-seat stadium, owned by OL. And around which a real little town has been erected, called “OL Valley”, including a leisure center and a medical center. At the end of 2023, an Arena with a capacity of 12,000 to 16,000 seats will be inaugurated in which the Villeurbanne basketball team, in which OL Groupe is a 33-shareholder, will play for the majority of its Euroleague matches. .33%. It was also under the direction of Aulas that the Rhone club’s women’s team was launched in 2004. With unrelenting success. The Lyonnaises have won 15 French championships and 8 Champions League.

The victory against Montpellier on Sunday keeps Laurent Blanc’s team in the race for qualification for the Europa League Conference when the C1 was initially targeted. If Lyon did not manage to rank 5th at the end of the championship, it would then be absent from European competitions for the second consecutive year. It is now up to John Textor to revive OL sportingly.

Updated at 8:35 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. with more elements.