Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas says he has been encouraged by the early progress made by the team under new boss Rudi Garcia. Aulas has been the figurehead of Les Gones since 1987 and has made a habit of appointing young coaches with potential.
With club legend Juninho Pernambucano returning in the summer as director of football, his first big call was to appoint his fellow Brazilian Sylvinho as coach.
The move to install the 45-year-old in his first job backfired and the former Barcelona defender was shown the door on October 7.
In came Garcia, a manager known for stabilising clubs and building his sides on firm foundations.
With so much talent at Parc OL, his pragmatic approach combined with the stardust in the team could be a match made in heaven.
Three wins, a draw and a solitary defeat away at Benfica in the Champions League means he has made a decent start and the 55-year-old watched on as his young team got revenge on the Portuguese outfit with a 3-1 Group G victory on Tuesday.
A trip to Garcia’s former club Marseille is next on the agenda on Sunday evening and if everything goes their way, a victory at the Stade Velodrome could see Lyon finish the weekend in the European spots.
After the uncertainty under Sylvinho, Aulas believes his replacement has steadied the ship and set the side on a more favourable course. “Garcia has made a very good impression,” he told RMC. Rudi is a man of action. We needed someone who squeezes the screw.”
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