Is Juninho now "legitimate" as the sporting director of OL?

• For nine months, Juninho has been learning on the job his new job as sports director at OL.
• Begun by a failure with the choice of the inexperienced Sylvinho on the Lyon bench, the “Juni” season may have changed with the ambitious recruitment of Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes last month.
• A huge European challenge presents itself for OL and Juninho, with the reception of Juventus Turin, as part of the round of 16 first leg of the Champions League, this Wednesday (9 p.m.) in Décines.

OK, Juninho probably did not dream of becoming champion of France in his first season at OL, as had been the case in 2001-2002 as a player. But did he think that his first strong choices in the heart of the game, Thiago Mendes and Jean Lucas, would prove (so far) so disappointing? Especially when you know that the recruitment manager Florian Maurice had made good progress on the arrival of the best player of the last CAN, the Algerian Ismaël Bennacer (now at AC Milan).

🗣💬 "I had met Florian Maurice who wanted me ... Afterwards, Sylvinho and Juninho arrived and I did not hear from him again."

🦁 Ismaël Bennacer confides that he appreciated the OL project last summer ... before the contacts suddenly stopped. #LeVestiaire pic.twitter.com/EYT3PJymYp

During this convincing presentation to the press, on May 28, 2019, Jean-Michel Aulas spoke of “a moving and exciting story” to write with Juninho but also with Sylvinho. Except that three months later, the Brazilian coach was already sacked, with only two successes in nine days of Ligue 1 and a 14th place. "I think" Juni "was surprised to have the keys to the truck at this point from the start, comments Frédéric Guerra, players' agent living in Lyon. Sylvinho was his failure. It was so hard to start that I was afraid he would give up quickly. "

"My opinion has been listened to, otherwise, there is no point in being there"

His former teammate in the seven OL ranking titles (from 2002 to 2008), Sidney Govou, saw him shortly after this derby (1-0) fatal to Sylvinho in October "It was a critical moment for "Juni". Imagine, you must poach yourself a coach that you had chosen ”… So very marked by this episode and absent from the media, Juninho was the subject of all questions as to his role in the surprising choice of Rudi Garcia.

The former Marseille coach admitted that he had been contacted by Gérard Houllier (adviser to President Aulas) and not Juninho. "As he was mistaken for Sylvinho, he undoubtedly wanted to stay in the background, on good terms, when choosing his successor", decrypts Frédéric Guerra. “It was not I alone who chose Rudi but my opinion was heeded. Otherwise, there is no point in being there, ”confirms the former midfielder in an interview published this Wednesday by L'Equipe .

🗣💬 "When Lyon comes to pick you up, you cannot refuse. I knew it would be difficult, but the objective remains to win titles"

🤝 Garcia looks back at his arrival at OL in #BreakingFoot and praises Juninho, "a great sports director in the making" pic.twitter.com/CzCkI42ax7

"He understood that he had to be present in front of the media"

The winter transfer window sounds the big return to business for Juninho, between his refusal to recruit a central defender as insistently demanded by Rudi Garcia, and this signature 100% stamped "Juni" by Bruno Guimaraes, promising captain of the Brazilian Olympic selection.

@OL pic.twitter.com/KzUlzhw12n

"He made a big hit because it is obviously an extraordinary player that several European clubs wanted," said Frédéric Guerra. That makes it really legitimate with the president and the shareholders of OL. I feel like it reinvigorated him and I put a piece on his success in Lyon. For Sidney Govou, "it was a way of taking over the reins". The former Lyonnais striker details the rise in power of the one who was his captain.

It may have taken six months to really step into the shoes of a sports director. It took him a long time to understand that he had to be present in front of the media, with a sense of timing as Leonardo can have. Today, media discourse has at least as much impact on players as it does on face-to-face discussions with them. "

Jean-Michel Aulas more omnipresent on Twitter than ever

Three days before a huge European challenge against Juventus, this Wednesday (9 pm), Juninho did not hesitate to sting the Lyon players in Le Progrès : “We have neither bad guys nor thugs in the workforce. There is a lack of natural leaders. They haven't won many titles and they lack a bit of the culture that existed at OL when I played there. ”

. @ Juninhope08 (@OL) to @OLIVETALLARON: "I understand the players of @FCMetz, maybe I have already done that during my career (...)"

"#OLJUV? Put some madness ..." 🔥

He also talks about @MATUIDIBlaise 😏 # FCMOL #LateFC

▶ ️ https://t.co/9FJHXtIxLZ pic.twitter.com/dFp9nrECYX

So many media outings that do not prevent its president from doing much more, especially after the games at the Parc des Princes and against OM this month, but also on Twitter, contradicting his announced "step back" at the start of the season, and held for a few weeks.

"There remains an idol among the supporters"

"We know that the president is a bit of a free electron," smiles Sidney Govou. There he felt that there was still a void to fill. »A role he would have liked his sports director to occupy? "It's not at all a question of power compared to Juninho," says Frédéric Guerra. But simply, it's visceral, he wants to defend the institution to the nail tips. "

What assessment can we therefore draw from the contribution of Juninho, after nine months, in a club which counted on him to sign a 180 degree turn and bridge the dizzying gap with PSG (still 28 points from the OL this season in L1)? "We immediately put a lot of weight on his shoulders, while he is currently dealing with an average workforce, let's say average more," says Sidney Govou. But even if he can no longer take free kicks during the matches, he remains an idol with the supporters. "

OL: "He has in him this requirement that we have missed so much" ... Why does Juninho's return excite the Lyonnais? https://t.co/C5BPmcGhe7 via @ 20minutesLyon pic.twitter.com/0eD8doQ8vS

"He makes a good diagnosis"

Like the southern bend, which also regularly chants "Juninho lalalalala, Pernambucano lalalalala" when OL get a free kick well placed, the man with 100 goals in the Lyon jersey remains very appreciated in the stands . Subscribed to the south turn, Richard does not have much to blame him for.

He has a super honest, humble and 100% sports-oriented speech. He is not talking about Ebitda, Reign FC or Asvel but about the lack of character of our players. He makes a good diagnosis, even if for the moment, the recruits do not have the profile of leaders he evokes. His status as an icon here is not at all tarnished, but he cannot, by himself, make us forget the situation of the club. "

One of Juninho's challenges is therefore to reconcile groups of supporters with their team over the long term, and the banner hung on the OL Park on Sunday by the north bend reminds us that JMA is more targeted than "Juni". "Juninho is a bit disarming in his naturalness and honesty," enthuses Vincent, a 28-year-old supporter. Compared to this OL, which has become so cynical with its short-term business, its presence does us great good. "

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