Last season, Juninho made his comeback at Olympique Lyonnais. The former club legend, who had shone as a player, hoped to be so successful in the sporting director costume. Supported by Jean-Michel Aulas, who pushed for his arrival, “Juni” lived a very complicated first year, between the Sylvinho casting error, the many injuries, the average results or even the premature end of Ligue 1 due to the covid-19 epidemic. The Brazilian also had some great moments with the superb course of Les Gones in the Champions League. Competition in which they notably eliminated Juventus from CR7 and Manchester City from Pep Guardiola.
–
A special year 2020 for Juninho
For his second season as an OL manager, Juninho is living much happier moments. Always more listened to, since it was he who convinced his club to bet on Lucas Paqueta this summer, he sees his team string together good results and especially playing an increasingly attractive game. Result: Lyon is co-leader with LOSC at the truce and ends the year 2020 with a series of 14 games without defeat. Enough to make Juninho smile. Asked by OLTV, he took stock of this particular year. “Of course when the championship ended he missed some matches. We finished seventh, it hurts. It had been a long time since we had seen OL classified in seventh place. But two months later, we proved to everyone that we did not deserve to finish seventh since we went to the semi-final of the Champions League, it was really moving, it was something very, very strong and I think that’s where we managed to create something. The players took a liking to victory, appreciated maintaining this level. I think it all started from there ”.
He then added: “This is the second time that we have reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. I hope that will happen to us again in the future. But it is true that I prefer to retain the semi-final of the Champions League. To finish like that in first place in the standings (with Lille), it proves that we have talent. You just have to keep working and be ambitious because a great team always has to think about winning. We feel that there is something going on between the players, even if there are always little things that can happen. But if we know how to manage it well, we have everything to end the season well. The supporters deserve it, they’ve needed to feel this emotion for a long time. I hope that at the end of May, they will feel something very good ”. For that, it will be necessary to continue to print the same pace in the championship.
The sports director discusses the transfer window
“This series is fun, it gives confidence. I think the key will be the management of the group. We are in the process of creating something important. There is no certainty about that, when you do not lose for 14 games in a row and you are able to maintain the series, it is important, it gives confidence to the squad. I think the key to the second half of the season will be knowing how to manage the squad well. I think Rudi is well aware of this. Today, we see that we have a very large workforce with players who come in, who go out, who maintain the level. That’s going to be the key, managing the workforce well. I think that we are creating something important and that the players have matured, have desire, have a taste for victory so the work started well during this first part of the season. . Now, we will see the second part (of the season), hoping to finish in front of everyone (…) The attackers had a very good first part of the season. The team was a little more balanced. We are all happy. Now we have to recover, take advantage to come back even stronger in January ”.
A month of January of all dangers for OL, which risks being attacked for its best elements including Memphis Depay, free in June, and Houssem Aouar. But the Lyon sports director was very clear:“No (there will be no departures from the holders). There will be changes, but it is rather players who will leave like Jean Lucas. It was already planned. Rudi asked that he leave to play some more. He is a player in whom I believe a lot, that I brought here. I know he’s going to do good things for us. He’s a player who has only played seven matches as a starter so it’s difficult to judge but I hope he will grow with this loan, that we will find a solution. After that, there will perhaps be one or two players for whom we will think about as we only play Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France, which will arrive soon. It’s hard to run. Maybe we’ll try to lend others. But normally, no one will arrive this winter. For the executive players, we are not going to move. I especially hope that we will keep this level, it is the most important ”. It is up to OL and Juninho to remain firm in order to hope for a crazy second part of the season.
–
