French Ligue 1 special: Jean-Michel Aulas looking to take http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Olympique-Lyonnais-c40130 back to basics
The last time Olympique de Lyonnais won the Championnat was in the 2007/2008 Ligue 1 season when Alain Perrin led Les Gones to their seventh consecutive Ligue 1 title. Amazingly, Lyon had never won the Ligue 1 before the 2001/2002 Ligue 1 season. It was Jacques Santini who started the Lyon legacy. Santini was later replaced by http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Defence-c38904 in the history of Ligue 1.
However, as it turned out, Alain Perrin was the last manager to have won the title for Les Gones. The Frenchman left Lyon in 2008 and was replaced by Claude Puel; a manager who was one of the youngest managers to have won the Ligue 1. Puel was only 39 when he guided AS Monaco to a Ligue 1 triumph in his first season at the Monegasque club.
Upon his arrival at Stade Gerland, a lot was expected of him. Jean-Michel Aulas was all smiles at the press conference as he introduced Puel as the next Lyon manager. Lyon faithful had high hopes of seeing the revered Championelle remain at Rhone under the new manager.
In the 2007/2008 season, Lyon had the likes of http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Al-Gharafa-c38306 after a seven-year stay at Stade Gerland. The Brazilian was the only Lyon player who was there when Lyon won their first and the last Championelle. Since then, the club has seen a barren spell. Players changed and so did the manager a few days ago.
Cautious approach
Jean-Michel Aulas knows that Lyon will take some time to recover from so many setbacks in the past three years. The Lyon supremo cannot be blamed for being cautious in his dealings with the newly-appointed Remi Garde. Lyon spent three years with Claude Puel without winning anything. Obviously, such disappointments have forced the president’s strategy. At least for now, the club is refraining from making ambitious statements and high-profile signings. In a space of just four to five days, the French giants have taken a 180 degree turn.
An annually renewable contract
This time, Aulas has chosen to give Garde an annually renewable contract. This can be considered a good ploy by Jean-Michel Aulas as he is not looking to risk giving a young and untested manager a long-term contract – something he might rue if things don’t work out.
However, Aulas is not expecting Garde to deliver titles from the word go. While talking to the media, Aulas made it clear that he is not looking to put extra pressure on the Frenchman and said, “We will work wisely and be humble in our approach this time.”
Importance of club values
Lyon needed to reconnect with the fans and made a good decision by installing Remi Garde as the new coach. Remi has been at Lyon for a long time and even played for Les Gones for almost six years. Born in L’Arbresle, Garde knows what it means to be playing for Lyon. Furthermore, his assistant at the dug-out has been with the Lyon coaching staff for more than ten years. The introduction of these two men will give the club an identity – something the club had lost during Puel’s three years at Lyon.
Starting from the scratch
Many would consider the recent movements within the Lyon hierarchy as a time of soul searching for a club that has not seen such a barren spell since the turn of the new millennia. However, the strategy recently adapted by Aulas is wiser and far more logical than the one he adopted in recent years. Though many people might consider the recent strategy as lack of ambition on the club’s part, it would go a long way in making Lyon a major force in French league in years to come.
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