Lyon (AFP)
Unloved, even hated. Regularly mocked on social networks and whistled at the announcement of his name at the stadium, coach Rudi Garcia discreetly savor his dazzling revenge after Lyon's feat against Manchester City (3-1) on Saturday in Lisbon in the quarterfinals of the League of champions.
"It's not important," he dodged on RMC, skillful in his communication. "We miss our supporters. We would also like to have them with us. We cannot have them. That's how it is," he said with a seductive smile.
And what about his spirit of revenge? Was he happy to prove his detractors wrong?
"No, but you have to give the best of yourself, like everywhere I've been and here in particular. We prefer to be loved and if this is not the case, what matters is to be well with its leaders, its players and its staff. And there, frankly I am experiencing a lot of happiness. It is by proxy, the happiness of a coach ", he only replied.
- A bad image that persists -
His appointment to replace the short-lived Sylvinho, when OL were 14th in Ligue 1, had sparked furious reactions from a fringe of supporters igniting the web and social networks. And this even before it is official.
Difficult to assess the real audience of this slingshot. Still, it exists, maintaining a bad atmosphere around OL, as was the case with Bruno Genesio (2015-2019).
Grievances against Garcia? His attacks on OL, while he was leading Marseille. At the time, the technician felt that the Lyon club was favored by refereeing and had engaged in fierce passes of arms with Jean-Michel Aulas.
To evacuate these grievances, Garcia had replied that he was defending his club at the time but that he would not need to do so in Lyon due to Aulas' strong personality.
Even today, it seems difficult to change the minds of the most resistant who now laugh at Pep Guardiola for having lost against Garcia while others have fun recalling the rout of the Lyon technician against Bayern Munich, 6 -1 with Lille and 7-1 with AS Roma, in anticipation of the semi-final ...
But Garcia replaces, as always, the debate on the sporting aspect and disregards, at least publicly, this permanent mistrust.
- Shield Aulas -
The parallel with Genesio and Claude Puel (2008-2011) is interesting, because these two coaches, equally hated by part of the public, have nevertheless taken OL far in European competitions: respectively in the semi-finals of the League Europa (2017) and the Champions League (2010).
As for Jean-Michel Aulas, he poses as a shield and defends his technician.
"Rudi is a boy who does his job well, we had identified him to straighten out this Olympique Lyonnais who has the means but who did not succeed. He was able to do it with humility, sometimes with a little difficulty because it was he is not a communicator who will seek recognition a priori, "reacted the president after the victory over City.
"He does his job first and makes sure that it allows him to find this recognition. So it's not a revenge, it's just the evolution towards what we wanted when we gave him the key with (the sporting director) Juninho who was decisive. He supported him in difficult times ", added the boss of OL.
"It is a confirmation for me, and I am very happy for him, because he is a coach who deserves recognition," he concluded, looking towards the semi-final against Bayern: "We are going to fall against the favorite of this competition, but that being said, it is a pleasure to come back to Lisbon on Wednesday, with faith in us and this recognition."
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