Quand je vois aujourd’hui l’entraîneur de Lyon qui réussit plutôt pas mal, qui part du jour au lendemain, et les présidents et dirigeants de Lyon acceptent son départ pour une poignée de figues ou de cerises,
declared Jean-Michel Aulas.
The departure of manager Paulo Fonseca to Sporting Portugal continues to draw sharp reactions in Lyon, with Jean-Michel Aulas publicly condemning the financial terms negotiated by Olympique Lyonnais.
Aulas Targets Kang and Gerlinger Over 5 million euros Deal
Aulas argued that current club leadership should have secured a much higher departure fee than the 5 million euros eventually agreed upon with the Portuguese club. Speaking on La Chaîne L’Équipe, Aulas criticized the handling of the negotiation by Michele Kang and Michael Gerlinger, stating that the financial interests of the club were not adequately defended.
The former club president maintained that Sporting needed the manager badly enough to pay a substantially larger sum. Initial proposals from the Portuguese side stood at 3 million euros before discussions eventually crept up to the final 5 million euro settlement.
Aulas Claims Lyon Missed Higher Payout Through Weaker Negotiations
Aulas contended that the final payout could have reached higher figures if Lyon’s current decision-makers had applied more pressure during talks. Sporting’s urgent need to secure their target manager left room for a stiffer financial demand, according to the former president.
The exit of Fonseca left Lyon while the Portuguese side landed a manager who had been finding success in France. Leadership at Lyon accepted the terms despite the gap between the negotiated price and the value Aulas believes the club should have extracted.
Financial Discrepancy Breakdown
The negotiation timeline reveals an escalation from initial offers to the final agreement.
- Initial Sporting Portugal offer: 3 million euros
- Final agreed departure fee: 5 million euros
- Target valuation according to Aulas: Significantly higher
Sporting ultimately finalized the move to bring in the manager, while Lyon leadership moved forward under scrutiny from the former president regarding their contractual advantages.
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