2023-12-16 13:45:14
Paris (AFP) – The historic former boss of Olympique Lyonnais Jean-Michel Aulas, ousted from the club last May, was elected vice-president of the French Football Federation until 2024, with “commitments” to the development of women’s football.
Published on: 12/16/2023 – 2:45 p.m.
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Like that of President Philippe Diallo, the mandate of Jean-Michel Aulas, also a member of the executive committee of the FFF since 2017 and president of the high level women’s commission at the FFF, will last until the end of 2024 and future elections.
The former OL leader was elected with 78.58% of the votes during the FFF general assembly: “8/10 is good but we must be attentive to those who think that we should do differently (…), it’s up to me to convince the remaining 20%”, he declared after his election, even though he represents the professional sector more than the amateur world.
Before the vote, President Philippe Diallo had praised the (only) JMA candidacy: “I proposed to submit the name of Jean-Michel Aulas to your vote, you know his experience, his competence and his contribution that he has made in French football.
A “strong commitment”
Philippe Diallo, former boss of the professional clubs union, held this position of vice-president of “3F” since December 2021 before becoming interim president following the resignation of Noël Le Graët – present on Saturday during the AGM – end of February.
“It is for me a strong commitment after 37 years of good and loyal service in the professional world. I have constantly worked with the amateur world. When I started in 1987, Olympique Lyonnais was very close to the concerns that you have every day. I know how difficult it is to be president in amateur football,” explained Jean-Michel Aulas from the assembly podium.
Jean-Michel Aulas managed Olympique Lyonnais for 36 years from 1987, before selling the club to the American group Eagle Football in December 2022. He was then hastily ousted from the presidency of OL last June by the American businessman John Textor, new owner.
The former OL manager, aged 74 and one of the pioneers in women’s football, assured that he wanted to take advantage of his new position to develop the sector even further: “We want to increase the number of licensed, our ambition over five years is to have 500,000 licensees.
“We have the ambition to be the first” in world professional women’s football: “we know that professional football is demanding, when European countries plan quickly, it is difficult to catch up in the economy and the valorization of rights, and we have the ambition to be the first,” he insisted.
OL Féminin, “a problem of equity”
The women’s OL, which must come under the control of American businesswoman Michele Kang, was also mentioned during the general assembly.
“Two American shareholders have decided to separate the women’s and men’s sections. An affiliation number concerns a single club (…). This poses fundamental problems. Firstly on the development of women’s football”, launched Pierre Ferraci, the president of the PFC. “We impose the American model while in the European model it is the historic clubs which have developed diversity,” he added.
“It’s also a problem of fairness. I know that Textor has to get past the DNCG by selling women’s football. Michelle Kang gets women’s football back without having to manage the rest,” added Mr. Ferraci.
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