OL president Jean-Michel Aulas declared on Wednesday that he is 'compatible' as a president with Laurent Blanc and Jose Mourinho, both potential successors to outgoing boss Bruno Genesio.
Since OL coach Genesio announced that he would be stepping down at the end of the season, Jean-Michel Aulas has been on the lookout for a successor, and while media speculation has linked both Laurent Blanc and 'The Special One' Jose Mourinho for the gig, the OL president is not going to rush into anything.
Deadline
"I can confirm that I won't enter into any discussions before the Week 35 match against LOSC, a clash that will give us a much clearer picture about where we stand," declared the club's long-time boss. "I have made this decision out of respect for the team and for Bruno."
Aulas gave a similar deadline a few weeks ago concerning a potential contract extension for Genesio, but the club's defeat to Rennes in the Coupe de France semis saw him delay it and Genesio stepped to break the tension by saying he would step down once his contract came to term at the end of the season.
Blanc to the fore
Now the hunt is on for a successor and the name of former France boss Laurent Blanc continues to come up. Even though the club has denied having set up a meeting with 'Le President', Aulas has admitted he appreciates the profile of the coach who took Bordeaux to a league and cup double in 2009 and PSG to successive quadruples in 2014 and 2015.
"He is one of the coaches who could interest me," offered Aulas cautiously. " I said that I want to hire someone with whom we could harbour certain ambitions and that I wanted to hire a coach who speaks French or English. [Concerning speculation that they would not be able to work together] He is compatible with me and Olympique Lyonnais, but that's also the case for Jose Mourinho and others."
Ambition
Aulas' mentioning Mourinho's name is a clear sign that he is ready to make a sizeable investment: "Lyon is a very well structured club that has the economic means to support its ambition."
Watch this space.