Speaking when contacted by L’Équipe, ex-Lyon President Jean-Michel Aulas moved to criticise current OL owner John Textor for the club being sanctioned by the French football financial watchdog, the DNCG, with restrictions on player recruitment during this summer window, after the club saw an appeal against the initial decision turned down on Tuesday.
Aulas sought to put on the record that during his several decades as owner of Lyon, he never had any issues with the DNCG.
Speaking on Tuesday, he admitted to having “no contact anymore with the current owners” of the club that he ran for the best part of 40 years. On Tuesday, the DNCG turned down an appeal by Lyon following an initial decision on 4th July to restrict player wages and transfer fee spending over the course of the 2023/24 campaign after the governing body perceived financial irregularities in the budget presented by John Textor.
“I was never troubled by the DNCG. I have never had any problem with them in 35 years as president. Up until now, the DNCG has always congratulated us for our management capabilities.”
Members of Aulas’ entourage affirm to L’Équipe that they offered a solution to the new owner of Lyon of how to overcome sanctions from the DNCG. They say it was ignored. The same sources point out that Aulas is still a shareholder in Lyon at 9% and has no desire to see the club suffer – they also moved to deny claims that they say are propagated by the current owner that Aulas made disparaging comments about Lyon’s new owner and his management to the DNCG himself.
Aulas will – in the coming hours – depart France for Australia to be with the women’s national team at the World Cup, in his capacity as a the member of the French Football Federation’s executive committee in charge of women’s football.
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