Ultras are not always recognized for their poetry. Friday October 7, just before the kick-off of Lyon-Toulouse and after a series of four defeats for their proteges, the Bad Gones denied the stereotypes by using finesse on their banner: “ More words, more words, the same evils… I don’t know how to tell you anymore. »
The message sent to the players and to the management was however not heard. Of them days after yet another disappointing result – a 1-1 draw – Olympique Lyonnais coach Peter Bosz was fired on Sunday October 9, seven months from the end of his contract scheduled for June 2023.
The decision seemed inevitable for a club which has not won a single match since September 3 (5-0 against Angers) and which aims to return to the Champions League at the end of the season: “Given the disappointing results obtained during the start of the season, which remain well below expectations and the objectives set, Olympique Lyonnais informs of the layoff on a protective basis of Peter Bosz », announced the Rhone club in a press release on Sunday evening. To replace him, the arrival of Laurent Blanc, who has not trained at a high level since his ousting from PSG in 2016, has also been formalized until June 30, 2024.
If the main group of Lyon supporters took over Dalida for the time of a banner, the role played by Alain Delon in the song Lyrics, lyrics, lyrics seems to fall to Jean-Michel Aulas, a follower of proactive communication on social networks and who tends to run out of steam after thirty-five years of presidency. Like his last tweet the day before the meeting: “I spoke with our players, I transmitted all your energy because I know that we all want the same thing: to rediscover the taste of victory! »
Football is our passion, OL is our whole life. I talked to our players, I passed on all your… https://t.co/R8WxEycaLk
During this 10e day of Ligue 1, the words of the most famous president of French football did not have the desired effect since his players were unable to beat the promoted Toulouse at home. The evils observed since the start of the season, but also since the 2021-2022 season ended in the 8e place – the worst since 1997 – is only getting worse. And this new poor performance, which already relegates Lyon to 12 points from the Parisian leader, 11 points from its Lorient runner-up and 9 points from OM, third, was therefore fatal to the Dutch coach, in office since the May 29, 2021.
An untenable situation
Bosz’s position had become untenable. And if he is far from being the only culprit of this situation, the former coach of Ajax Amsterdam has responsibilities in this failure. Landed in the Rhône with the ambition of a football “attractive and offensive”as he enjoyed hammering it over the months, even when the evidence on the pitch contradicted him, he was never able to convey his philosophy of play to his players.
After the already complicated experiences of former coaches Bruno Génésio and Rudi Garcia, who had difficult relations with a good part of the supporters, Peter Bosz had nevertheless benefited from the patience of the public and his management.
The start of the season for Lyon players, winners of four of their first five games, was nothing but a mirage. The successes were obtained against modest adversaries, and the manner had not been reassuring. This OL, often pathetic, could not resist the revelation of more difficult confrontations, losing in Lorient (3-1), Monaco (1-0), against PSG (1-0) and Lens (1 -0).
The break between the coach and his players was definitively recorded after the last draw. Returning to the club after a few years in exile in England, striker Alexandre Lacazette – named captain by Bosz – spilled the beans on the Prime Video broadcaster’s microphone at the final whistle.
He first regretted the exit of his friend from the attack Moussa Dembélé. Then he didn’t show great enthusiasm when asked about Bosz’s future: “It’s not up to me to decide whether he stays or not, it’s up to the president, the sporting director, the board to decide. I’m here to play, I just want to win matches. »
But if Lyon, seven times champion of France in the 2000s, has not won a single trophy since a Coupe de France in 2012, it is the general sports policy that is responsible. At the end of 2021, sports director Juninho had suffered a power struggle with the director of football, Vincent Ponsot, former legal director of the Professional Football League.
Exhausted by internal conflicts, the former Brazilian glory of the club had slammed the door after only two years in his post. Since then, he has never agreed to renew the dialogue with Jean-Michel Aulas, despite the president’s attempts.
“Aulas is surrounded by incompetents”
It is a new duo – Vincent Ponsot associated with Bruno Cheyrou, the technical director in charge of recruitment in particular – who have taken control of the sports policy. An incongruity for Juninho, new consultant for RMC Sport radio since the start of the school year, who spoke after an ultimatum set by Ponsot to Peter Bosz: « You already why are you talking about football, you are not a sports director. Vincent Ponsot must not get involved. You meddle publicly, you put your coach in trouble, it’s not done. »
This criticism is shared by other ex-players of “great” Lyon. After yet another defeat in Lens, Sidney Govou, who won Lyon’s seven French championship titles, also openly criticized the two men.
“Aulas is surrounded by incompetent peoplehe scolded. Just on semantics, we name football representative Vincent Ponsot, someone who does not know football. He is a very competent man in his field. [le juridique] but its only media release was catastrophic. » Bruno Cheyrou was also targeted: “He’s a good guy but he doesn’t know the networks to sell, which is the hardest part of recruiting. Gérard Houllier knew how to sell, for example. »
Good evening Bruno Cheyrou, I would like to have your opinion on the recruitment of OM please. #MercatOM | #TeamOM ????⚪️ https://t.co/Dzo8qTU3km
This summer, despite a certain tendency to boastfulness – he made fun of OM’s recruitment at a press conference in early July after the departure of Olympian coach Jorge Sampaoli – Bruno Cheyrou did not particularly shine with his work. Despite the early arrivals of two former products of the Lyon formation, Lacazette but also Corentin Tolisso, as well as the signing of one of the rare good surprises of the Lyon transfer window, the young Johann Lepenant, OL had difficulty selling players that he wanted to sell.
Only Léo Dubois left for a modest sum in Turkey. No professional right defender has been recruited to double the position assigned to young Malo Gusto. Despite long-standing defensive difficulties, no central defender was also recruited since we failed to get rid of the undesirables Jérôme Boateng and Damien Da Silva.
The Lyon workforce has only lost in quality. The club has once again sold its best player, an easy solution to relieve finances. After the Brazilian Guimaraes last winter (50 million euros), it was his compatriot Lucas Paqueta who joined England for 60 million euros. Both players were recruited thanks to Juninho.
While Olympique Lyonnais is in the process of finalizing its sale (the date has been set for October 21), the club is going through one of the most turbulent and uncertain periods in its history. The future American owner, John Textor, will certainly take a close look at the sports management of his new acquisition. Jean-Michel Aulas, who has been extended for three years at the head of the club according to the agreement concluded with Textor, is more than ever under pressure.