• The day after its stunning victory against Montpellier (5-4), Olympique Lyonnais is about to experience a major moment in its history with the departure of Jean-Michel Aulas.
  • In disagreement with John Textor and Eagle Football about the sports overhaul desired by the American holding, the president of OL will, according to L'Equipe, leave the presidency before the end of his governance contract (until 2025).
  • The iconic 74-year-old leader should receive compensation of 10 million euros for his departure.

History will remember that a crucial page of Olympique Lyonnais turned on the evening of a fireworks as unexpected as delirious on the field. The success of the band to Alexandre Lacazette, Sunday against Montpellier (5-4 after being led 1-4), will undoubtedly be overshadowed in the coming days by the departure of Jean-Michel Aulas from the presidency of the club. At the head of OL (then in Ligue 2) since 1987, the emblematic president should indeed officially leave his post this week, as announced by L'Equipe.



As in Strasbourg nine days earlier, the absence of JMA in the presidential tribune of Décines challenged everyone on Sunday, while Vincent Ponsot, Bruno Cheyrou and Sonny Anderson surrounded John Textor. Present for his second consecutive match at Parc OL, after the famous defeat against OM (1-2), the new American owner of OL Groupe is therefore determined not to go to the end of the three-year governance contract (until 2025) that he had agreed with the historic Lyon leader.

The tensions between the two key figures of the management of OL this season were more and more obvious. "If they come to impose things on me on the sports organization, there is little chance that I will accept it," Jean-Michel Aulas told L'Equipe last month. But John Textor still recalled on Prime Video, before the clash against OM, that he would "push for changes".

"We have to do things differently"

"Every day we have big decisions to make with such a club, confided the one who is also owner of the clubs of Botafogo (Brazilian D1) and Molenbeek (Belgian D2). Jean-Michel (Aulas) manages his teams, I'm here to ask questions, get answers, have the best players on the pitch. The definition of insanity is to always do the same thing and hope for different results. We want better results, so we have to do things differently, and it starts now. I am an agent of change. »

It seems that the boss of Eagle Football is moving from words to deeds in a spectacular way. According to L'Equipe, Jean-Michel Aulas (74) did not wish to support the establishment of a recruitment cell more provided than Eagle Football demanded. Determined to thoroughly restructure the sports sector, the American holding held a board meeting on Friday that did not bring positions closer to JMA.


#OL 0-0 #MHSC@JM_Aulas is not in the stands next to John #Textor
(13th minute)#OLMHSC pic.twitter.com/5qb5a99zbj

— OL+ (@OL__Plus) May 7, 2023

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JMA could keep its shares in OL Groupe

Openly interested in the position of president of the future Women's Football League, which could see the light of day from July 2024, he will therefore disappear from his decision-making position with an exit fee of 10 million euros, as the governance contract provided for in the event of separation before 2025. According to L'Equipe, JMA could still sit on the board of directors of OL Groupe and keep its shares, which represent 9% of the capital via its family holding Holnest.

If Jean-Michel Aulas' OL reigned over French football in the 2000s, with seven consecutive Ligue 1 titles from 2002 to 2008, Lyon fans are desperately waiting to celebrate a new title since the 2012 France Cup. Many of them, like the banners released by the north corner on Sunday (including a "From the field to the office, OL you love it or you leave it!" which takes a hell of a significance), have been calling for a change of course for many weeks. With the departure of JMA, after thirty-six years of governance, they will be entitled to a leap into the void faster than expected. Strangely, the incredible quadruple of Alexandre Lacazette the day before will no longer be on everyone's lips this Monday morning.

  • Football
  • Sport
  • Olympique Lyonnais (OL)
  • Jean-Michel Aulas
  • Ligue 1
  • Lyon
  • Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
  • Rhône-Alpes