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redwineconversation · 7 months

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say something babe, do something (Olympique Lyonnais 2024 Contracts)

"You're Losing Me" is about the events which led up to what happened in "Maroon" and I will not entertain theories to the contrary.

Anyway, let's have a chat about Lyon's 2024 contracts, which I have addressed a little in the past and privately, but with Hegerberg's comments, it's worth revisiting.

Here are the major 2024 contracts: Ada Hegerberg, Griedge M'Bock, Delphine Cascarino, Perle Morroni, Christiane Endler, Vanessa Gilles, Vicki Becho, Eugenie Le Sommer.

Those are pretty considerable players. We're talking about the club's best and second best goal scorer, their starting goalkeeper, one of the best center backs in the world, a world class right winger, a world class left back, and arguably a very talented youngster. Losing those players would be catastrophic for the club, especially because there aren't really any equivalent players wandering around.

But why are we in a situation where we could lose such an important part of the roster?

First factor: John Textor taking over Olympique Lyonnais.

Nothing good has come from John Textor being the new owner. He fired Aulas, decided not to pay Aulas' separation agreement, decided to sell the women's team to a friend of his but a stranger to the team, failed to pass the financial watchdog not once not twice but three times, caused massive upheaval in the club, and is more hung up on Botafogo than Beth Mead stans are about the thought of Ellie Carpenter breathing.

John Textor fired Aulas because he didn't want Aulas' influence at the club anymore, and while you can argue that as majority owner he has the right to do what he wants with the club's personnel, Lyon's men team is also sitting bottom of the league and is about to have their third coach in as many months. There is enormous turmoil at Olympique Lyonnais and John Textor is the sole reason for it. He doesn't know what it means to run a successful European club and thinks he can do whatever he wants just like he did with Botofago. European clubs work different.

Perhaps John Textor's only saving grace is that he sold Lyon Feminin to Michele Kang. That's a good thing.

Or, well, is it?

Obviously given the choice between John Textor running Olympique Lyonnais Feminin or Michele Kang running it, I will choose Michele Kang. She is invested in women's soccer, believes in running it like a business, and seems to, at the very least, have some sort of interest in the sports. She has Lyon's interest at heart from a business perspective. She shows up to games, has plans, has ambitions.

All good things.

But what she is lacking is European experience. The fact of the matter is Washington Spirit is not a heavyweight club like Olympique Lyonnais Feminin is and you cannot recruit players for Washington Spirit at all because of the fucking draft the way Lyon needs their recruitment to be run. This club, with its European ambitions, cannot and should be run based on the premise of youth promise or trades.

What works with Washington Spirit is fine because that is restricted to the NWSL where there are no consequences for bad draft decisions. Bad recruitment for a European team can, has, and will cost a team the Champions League. It can, has, and will cost a team the league which affects their ability to go in the UWCL group stages and instead a team will find themselves against the likes of a scalp hunting team like Paris FC.

A team can finish rock bottom in the NWSL and there are absolutely zero consequences for the following season. It's a closed league with nothing at stake. If a team doesn't make the playoffs one season, who cares? There's always the next season. You don't win the Shield, that's a shame. You don't get the winner's bonus but that's it, really. You get another shot at it next season.

Camille Abily raised this concern about the playoffs in her recent OL Night Systems interview. Because of the structure, there is an actual possibility that Lyon might not even qualify for the UWCL playoffs, much less the group stage.

And that is always, always, always going to affect recruitment for a team of Lyon's calibre. I don't have the calendar in front of me, but I think the playoffs are May 12 and May 16 (or somewhere around those dates). Let's just roll with that. Now, Lyon has too many experienced players, too many international players, to be satisfied with not playing UWCL one season.

Ada Hegerberg is not going to stick around for a team who is not going to play Champions League, she just won't. Christiane Endler probably won't. Griedge M'Bock won't. Delphine Cascarino won't. I'm not even sure if the 2025 contracts would stick around - Selma Bacha definitely won't.

The type of players Lyon have just aren't going to accept chilling at home during the weekdays and watching other teams play the UWCL the entire season. That's just not going to happen.

Even if you can lock down these players prior to May 12, 2024 - and that's a massive if - any player with self-esteem is going to have an escape clause. As I said, Hegerberg isn't going to stick around for a team not playing in the Champions League all season. It's not going to happen. So how do you prepare for a team whose significant amount of players will be gun-shy to sign and then will want an escape clause even if they do?

It affects the recruitment. I've been vocal about wanting Leuchter, but would Lyon really be able to attract her? Not as things stand. They can't promise UWCL until May 12 at best, can't guarantee playing time, can't really say anything other than "okay... but like ... maybe... think about it?"

So we're back to the Michele Kang dilemma: what can she do, exactly?

At the moment, absolutely nothing, because she doesn't even officially own this team, and can't own it until OL Reign is officially sold. Seattle Sounders FC have officially entered negotiations to purchase the team but nothing has been finalized, and we are back to John Textor's "trust me, bro" in terms of seeing if it even occurs.

Even Textor had kept on Aulas until the sale of OL Reign was officially completed then there would have been an element of stability which is missing right now. Kang can't even make guarantees because she doesn't even own them. Yes, she's there, yes, she's behind the scenes, and yes, she is showing up.

But she doesn't own them. She can't make those final decisions.

But there is one other major factor: crowd attendance.

It's not a super persuasive argument in my mind, but it's still there. Lyon players deserve bigger crowds than they have. Now, there are factors which do explain the crowd attendance: Lyon's men team are absolutely shit. That does influence crowd attendance for female teams. If the men's team is successful, then people will care about other parts of the club. This will upset certain fan clubs, but let's be quite frank about it.

When Lyon men were capable of winning games, Lyon Fem was hitting in the 25k-30k range attendance at the Groupama Stadium. Then COVID hit, the men started being shit, Lyon Fem went through a season where they were trophyless, and that leads us to today. I'm not saying all of those are great arguments, but they are factors we need to take into consideration.

Lyon Fem gets ripped into for bad performances. The crowd is extremely unforgiving. Lyon had one (1) bad season where they didn't win anything and it did affect crowd attendance at the women's games for the following seasons. There are consequences to not living up to expectations. Lyon's shitty start to the 2022-2023 had consequences which we're still feeling to this day.

The crowd wants to get behind a team who wins. Lyon (Fem) fans have always cared about the football more than the social gathering at games. When Lyon had those wins, the football was a given, and the players didn't have to ask for people to show up. Fans showed up because winning was almost a guarantee.

2020-2021; Fall 2022 took those guarantees away.

It's not to say Lyon isn't trying to rebuild that trust. They are. And I think Kang's idea of building a midsize stadium (10-15k) is the right one. But again there are logistics behind it. Groupama is not the easiest stadium to get to, and the scheduling, especially of the women's games, makes it even more complicated as well. A majority of Lyon fans are 18+ and therefore have actual responsibilities, such as their education or jobs. A 9pm game on a Sunday night is going to affect attendance for fans who work full time. A novel concept for some, but that is the truth. People will (should?) choose to pay bills over attending a game. Though maybe there is a correlation between football social gatherings and unemployment rates.

So yeah, fan attendance is higher in other leagues, and there's reasons for that, amongst which are scheduling (which can be changed by the FFF), and success of the men's teams (in the hands of the Sports Gods).

Hegerberg's comments were annoying and, if I am frank, a little offensive to Lyon. She made it seem like Lyon is deliberately being passive about her contract situation rather than the club having its hands tied due to John Textor's lax definition of management.

Is Lyon's recruitment going to be really, really painful as long as the playoffs exist? Is Lyon's crowd attendance going to suffer while the men have won one (1) game in 12 attempts?

Yes.

It's really, really hard to predict what will happen with the 2024 contracts because these players will only play for UWCL teams. For the first time since 2006, Lyon doesn't know if they will be one.

#all good love stories start in the rain #michele kang #John textor

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redwineconversation · 1 year

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The Michele Kang Dilemma

Is it still doomsplaining if your concerns are legitimate? Something to think about.

Blah blah it's posted in the public sphere but if you're gonna post it elsewhere pls hyperlink instead of a mass copy/paste. Thanks mates xx

THE MICHELE KANG DILEMMA

Anyway, let's chat about Olympique Lyonnais and Michele Kang, shall we? I do love a proper discussion. So let's work through this situation.

First of all, I listened (live) to John Textor's press conference this morning. [Here is the link posted to YouTube but I will note it has the French simultaneous translation, which will make it difficult for English speakers to understand].

The press conference did nothing really to alleviate my concerns. Textor barely mentioned the women's section, but it must also be said that he also wasn't really asked about it. He did however say a few things of note: (1) he had talked with head coach Sonia Bompastor about what she wanted/needed in order to be successful; (2) Michele Kang will indeed be taking over the women's section under Eagle Football; (3) Olympique Lyonnais will be looking for not one "but probably 3-4" individuals who will take over the position of Director General. He didn't give a timeframe as to when (2) will be happening but according to Le Progres sources, that could happen "this week".

We're only Tuesday, so the week is still young, and I feel the news dump regarding the most successful women's club in the world isn't over.

So that's the news part out of the way. Let's chat about Michele Kang now.

I discussed it a little in this post when the news first broke. While I think Michele Kang's intentions are in the right place, I have concerns about whether her approach will work with a team like Olympique Lyonnais.

I know she did a lot of good for Washington Spirit, and I am by no means downplaying that. She got them out of a shitty situation, poured a lot of money into them, and gave them an essential support structure. These are all really good things, and I think are commendable. It shows she's an owner who cares and is invested in women's football, which was not the situation for Washington Spirit's previous owners.

The problem here is that Olympique Lyonnais Feminin was not in the same situation as Washington Spirit. They did not have absentee parents, to keep with the child of divorce metaphor, but a father who loved them. Aulas has always been a part of Olympique Lyonnais Feminin. He trusted them and believed in them and invested in them long before it was cool to do so in women's football. Aulas was standing in the rain with 20 other people in 2004 and built a dynasty.

Lyon already had that support system, is what I am trying to say. They had the infrastructure and the money and excellent conditions. They had a parent who cared, and then Textor came and took their parents away from them.

This team will be on the back foot with Michele Kang, and rightfully so despite her history with Washington Spirit. Lyon knew that Aulas cared because Aulas was always there. He attended every home game, he would travel to away games with them. He would get into fights with national federations for them so the players wouldn't have to be in the direct line of fire.

Will Michele Kang do that? Realistically, she can't. She just can't be in two places at once. If Michele Kang wants Lyon to perform for her, she needs to be there for them, and that will require a much greater sacrifice on her part than Washington Spirit demanded.

If the sale to Michele Kang happens this week - and we will see if it does, since the sale is so complex in large part due to the structure of the club - then it is fundamental she shows up for the remaining games of the season. She needs to be in Orleans on Saturday - and I would even argue she needs to be there even if the sale hasn't been finalized -, she needs to be in Paris on May 21 and she needs to be at Groupama Stadium on May 27.

Again, this causes a conflict with Washington Spirit: they play against Angel City on May 13, against Orlando on May 20, and against Gotham on May 28.

Let's say Kang decides to attend the Lyon games, which I maintain is fundamental for gaining the trust of the Lyon players. What message does that send, though, to the Washington Spirit players, that they will have to share their mom with a new stepkid, a bright stepkid, the one who everyone knows will be the golden child?

Kang has made it known she wants to own a team in every league. Again, I applaud her ambition, but how would the management work?

Aulas worked well with Lyon players because he was accessible to them. They could go to him, close the office door, and say "you and me, we need to hash things out." But Kang can't do that from Florida. In order to be accessible to them, she needs to be there, in Lyon.

And if not, then she needs to put someone Lyon both knows and trusts, who can be. And what then does that message send to the Lyon players? "Yeah, I bought your team, yeah, the person who always been on your side may be gone, and yeah, I'm in a completely different country ... Don't call me, call this person instead."

I've seen people talk about a mass exodus for players, and while I think it's understandable why people want to entertain that theory, as things stand on May 9, I think that's a little premature. The exodus will be contingent on certain factors - 1) if/when Michele Kang takes over and 2) whether she successfully proves herself when she does.

In terms of recruitment, I do hope Le Progres' sources were right when they said it would happen "this week" because I think as soon as the situation is stabilized the recruitment can continue. In times of uncertainty, players are going to be looking elsewhere. Having a firm plan in place as soon as possible will settle things out.

I also think the speculated mass exodus overlooks that so many players are up in June 2023, and also that Bompastor already said there won't be that many renewals. It's the 2024 contracts which will be more reflective of the state of affairs: Ada Hegerberg, who has the most influence over the locker room and I think will be the hardest for Michele Kang to win over; Tiane Endler; Griedge M'Bock. Damaris and Perle Morroni are also 2024 contracts but don't hold the same level of influence as the players I just cited. Others of influence will be in later years: Selma Bacha (2025), Wendie Renard (2026). [Carpenter (2026) and bane of my existence Malard (2026) are not high enough in the hierarchy to have the influence discussed].

I talk about the power players in the Lyon locker room because it's imperative that Michele Kang convinces them her vision of Lyon is aligned with theirs - which again, I think will be very difficult for her to do if she cannot be there physically. These players have a strict code of ethics. Throwing money at them is great - the more investment the better! - but that won't change their moral code, not when Lyon is already used to being treated well. This is why the break with Washington Spirit is so important to understand: Washington was in a bad situation and Michele Kang made it better. Lyon was in a good situation and Textor and Kang made it worse.

The point about influence is important too because despite the money and well intentions of Michele Kang, she still lacks influence. I brought this up in a previous post. Aulas went to war for his players. But can Michele Kang even do that? Not really. As I said, outside of Washington Spirit, no one really knows what she has done. Her name doesn't carry weight the way Jean-Michel Aulas' does. As I said, FIFA won't pick up the phone for her, UEFA won't, FIFPro won't, etc.

You want the Lyon players on your side? Intentions are not enough, money is not enough. They need to believe you are on their side. Can Michele Kang even go to war with UEFA for them? Would she even want to? Squabbling with UEFA or a national federation is a lot different than sitting in a deposition for a report on the NWSL.

How do you convince a team whose previous owner built them from scratch that you are not the bad guy for having removed him? How do you get players like Hegerberg, like Renard, like Endler to be on your side? Win over the Hegerbergs and Renards and Endlers and the locker room will fall in line.

But how do you do that? By showing up, obviously, but also by listening to them, by having actual conversations, open dialogue. This is another point of concern of mine - the language barrier. Renard and Aulas were able to get on the same page so easily because they were both French. Renard's English is subpar to be generous. Michele Kang does not speak French. How do they overcome the language barrier? [An interpreter, obviously, but this does mean Renard cannot just pick up the phone whenever she has an issue and call Kang so they can hash things out].

Let's look at Hegerberg, then. There isn't the language barrier, but Kang will have to win over Hegerberg's strict moral code. How do you convince a player who has been so set in doing right by the club she loves so much that you want to do right by the same club? Any discussion Kang has with Hegerberg will have a simple follow-up question: "and then what?" What will Kang do to help Lyon maintain its dominance with the void left by Aulas? How will Kang convince Hegerberg the gulf is not as big as Hegerberg fears?

Michele Kang has the money to invest in Lyon. She fundamentally cares about women's football. She wants to do right by the sport. All of those are extremely commendable.

But Lyon is perhaps the only team who can test how much she actually means that, because this is a team that will bury bodies for you, but you have to convince them to be monsters first.

#all good love stories start in the rain #Michele kang #olympique lyonnais

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