INTERVIEW
Olympique Lyonnais continues its communication business. With the cessation of the championship, pronounced by the Professional Football League on April 30, Lyon finds itself 7th and therefore deprived of European competition. What the Rhone club does not seem to accept, which has not missed an edition of the European Cup (Champions League or Europa League) for 24 years. "I am 150% with Jean-Michel Aulas on everything, but I find that we were hasty", regrets Gérard Houllier on Europe 1.
"We cannot say what will happen in 15 days. The Germans will resume, the Portuguese will resume ... We had until the first week in June. We could even have played from June 15 until July 15. We could still have waited, that's all, "laments the former Gones coach.
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"A feeling of injustice"
Gérard Houllier partly criticizes this decision for the government which, according to him, was almost taken on a whim. "I was amazed myself, the public authorities never mentioned sport in all the interventions. It was not until the last intervention of Edouard Philippe that we said 'the sporting events are obviously over '. "
"I think that sport represents a huge amount for a country, for all countries", continues Gérard Houllier on Europe 1. "When we are going to win a World Cup, it has a worldwide impact, I think we could have had a more weighted, slower thinking. In fact, we are guided by what is happening on the sanitary level (sic), maybe the English will not be able to resume, maybe the Italians either, but at the less they waited until the end. "
The right arm of Jean-Michel Aulas also has a thought for Amiens, relegated to Ligue 2 with Toulouse. "There is a feeling of injustice if you want, there have been different formulas brought in, where I put myself in the place of a club like Amiens, it's hard!", Admits Gérard Houllier. "They used to finish the championship very, very strong, they played PSG twice, twice Lyon, twice Marseille, they played all the big guys, they will find themselves in L2 when there is 30 points to take. "
Favorable for a Ligue 1 to 22 clubs
The winner of the UEFA Cup with the Liverpool Reds in 2001 is of the same opinion as Antoine Kombouaré, favorable to a Ligue 1 with 22 clubs, which however is not foreseen in the texts. "There is no longer a League Cup, so there are five additional dates, it would suit everyone, even with four downhills, it would be fairer," he said.
Gérard Houllier concedes in half-word that the decision to stop the championship on the 28th day is the least bad: "With ten days to go, it was the classification which corresponded to the value of the teams, and especially to the football that "They practiced. Anyway, there are no ideal solutions. The only thing is that it seems unfair to me as long as there are 30 points to play."
The right arm of Jean-Michel Aulas thinks especially of next summer, if the Champions League were to continue. UEFA plans to continue C1 in August. Lyon and PSG are still involved in the quarterfinals.
Decisive meeting on May 27
"The French clubs currently would have done five months of individual training, one month of collective training if all goes well in July, and then they will play a competition six months without playing, whether Paris or Lyon, it is a huge handicap ", laments Houllier on Europe 1.
"UEFA has a decisive meeting on May 27 which will depend on what happens in England, Italy or Spain. If it does not resume, the Champion's League will be dead." Can Lyon question the holding of the match, if Juventus for example was able to take over Italian Serie A? "It will be disabling especially if the opponent has resumed, we will have no choice. We are sailing by sight." Lyon is expected to play its return quarterfinal on August 7 in Turin.