The “Aulas method” is to invest, “in boys, in the training center, in girls”, and even in a stadium, explains Nathalie Iannetta.
“In the corridors of OL, it’s an earthquake”, explained Monday, May 8 on franceinfo Nathalie Iannetta, sports director of Radio France. Jean-Michel Aulas is stepping down as president of OL at the age of 74 after 36 years of reign, even if he remains honorary president. The club’s new American investor, John Textor, becomes the sole master on board to make OL a major European club. Nathalie Iannetta returned to the career of Jean-Michel Aulas, this young IT-savvy entrepreneur who “applied the managerial techniques of the company to a football club, which had nevertheless rarely happened”.
franceinfo: How did Jean-Michel Aulas’ adventure at OL begin?
Nathalie Iannetta: Jean-Michel Aulas is a self-taught computer enthusiast who, at the age of 19, left his province to go to the United States. On the west coast, there is no Silicon Valley yet. He discovers very ingenious people. He will meet a guy who, later with an apple, will be talked about a bit around the world, a certain Steve Jobs. He returns with this firm conviction that the future lies in IT solutions. These IT solutions, he will dedicate them to companies. That’s how he created, with two or three engineers, payroll software for companies. Cegid will make his fortune and take him around the world before Olympique Lyonnais.
He takes a club in D2 in big trouble. How does he get OL back together?
He arrived in 1987 and benefited from a little help from a somewhat emblematic guy in the world of football, Bernard Tapie. He applied his entrepreneurial spirit to Olympique Lyonnais. Tapie says: “I know a young kid who can pull it all together.” Jean-Michel Aulas becomes the president of a debt-ridden club in the second division. Two years later, return to D1 (at the time) for OL. Then, a hegemony that will gradually begin to intensify. At the beginning of the 2000s, the men of Jean-Michel Aulas crushed the entire championship, all of French football with emblematic figures, including Sonny Anderson of course, who would be the first star, whom Jean-Michel Aulas would sign.
What are his greatest successes at OL?
Beyond the sporting results, what is very striking in the career of Jean-Michel Aulas is the strategy. It is an Aulas method. He applied the company’s managerial techniques to a football club, which had rarely happened.
“Even Bernard Tapie, in a way, had not pushed the cursor so far in strategy: we form a team, we set objectives, we achieve them and above all, we invest permanently.”
Nathalie Iannetta, Sports Director of Radio Franceat franceinfo
He invested in the boys, he invested in the training center, he invested in the girls. With Louis Nicollin, he is the one who makes the biggest bets on girls. And then the ultimate investment, its stadium, the Groupama Stadium which belongs to Olympique Lyonnais. It’s 60,000 places with a village all around, OL Vallée.
Today, he is pushed towards the exit, even if he remains honorary president. What happened ?
John Textor arrives at Olympique Lyonnais. We found out at the end of last summer. It took a number of negotiations for them to agree with Jean-Michel Aulas on the fact that he was the president, he will stay for three years and that little by little, we will be able to hand over . Except that obviously, it never happens like that, neither with the Americans, nor with Jean-Michel Aulas. This rupture occurred on Friday at the board of directors. Jean-Michel Aulas certainly remains honorary president, but in the corridors of OL, it’s an earthquake.