Since his forced departure from Paris Saint-Germain in 2016, Laurent Blanc was a bit like the Arlesian of French football. Often approached, often announced, we never saw the end of it as the Alesien did not seem to be in a hurry to reconnect with the high level. In December 2020, he was well out of his chosen inactivity and passion for golf when he signed for Qatari club Al-Rayyan. He had been dismissed in February 2022 on a failure: no title won. Since then, the taciturn former central defender of the Blues, 1998 world champion, had publicly expressed his desire to find a club.
It is now done since “the President” – his nickname during his years as a footballer – accepted the proposal of another president, that of Olympique Lyonnais. To replace Peter Bosz, dismissed, Jean-Michel Aulas has chosen Laurent Blanc, who joins the Rhône for two seasons, plus one as an option. “This decision was taken to give Olympique Lyonnais a very ambitious dimension for the future, both on the French and continental scene”explains OL, Sunday, October 9, in a press release.
Two wills finally met, since in 2019 the Lyon boss had already thought of Blanc, after the dismissal of the Brazilian Sylvinho. In January 2022, Aulas had confirmed it during an interview with Europe 1: “Yes, I’m thinking about it. He is a boy with incomparable experience. I had seen him for a long time in Russia during the World Cup. I felt that ability in him. Things didn’t happen. But do we ever know? »
It must be said that Laurent Blanc is typically an “aulasso-compatible” choice. The OL manager appreciates the personality of the man and the classic profile of the coach. As a bonus, Blanc has an eloquent record: a double with Bordeaux in 2009 then three other league titles, three French Cups and three League Cups with PSG in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
“In Paris, I said to myself: ‘You have nothing to lose'”
In an interview, which will be broadcast on Tuesday, but of which BeIN Sports broadcast an excerpt on Sunday, Blanc responded with a « oui » sound and decided on the question of whether he felt ready to resume service.
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After a first successful experience in Gironde, the young coach was poached in May 2010, against compensation of 2 million euros, by the French Football Federation (FFF), anxious to find a successor to Raymond Domenech. The Knysna fiasco occurred a month later during the South African World Cup, and it was a team of France in tatters that Laurent Blanc would recover.
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