“He is the greatest French leader that we have had in football” for Laurent Nicollin

“Whatever we say, whether we like Jean-Michel Aulas or not, for me he is the greatest French leader we have had in football”, reacts Monday, May 8 on franceinfo Laurent Nicollin, president of the Montpellier club. The emblematic figure of OL leaves his functions as president at 74 after 36 years of reign, even if he remains honorary president of the club.

“I see him at the head of the French Football Federation”even assures Laurent Nicollin, “He still has the stature, the stature and the energy to be one. I think he would have liked to remain at the head of OL for many more years. But when you have a person of such level and such knowledge of football, I think the costume of president of the federation would suit him perfectly.”

The great builder of women’s football

“It was the great builder of women’s football”, continues the president of the Montpellier club. It evokes “this sticking point” when OL took their three internationals to Montpellier in 2005 or 2006: Camille Abily, Sonia Bompastor and Hoda Lattaf. “It was a small crisis between the two presidents but given their friendship, it was quickly restored”laughs Laurent Nicollin, whose father, Louis Nicollin and Jean-Michel Aulas were very close.

For Laurent Nicollin, “Of course it’s a new era, because Olympique Lyonnais without Jean-Michel Aulas will no longer be the OL I knew. It was always a special moment for us to play against Lyon. “OL, my father was from Lyon, a younger OL supporter and we must not lose against Lyon. And then we had a ritual with the president, we often met before the match for lunch together.” “It is a symbol of history”adds Laurent Nicollin, “He took over the club in 1987, the day after a defeat at Montpellier and he left OL with a victory over Montpellier.”