Aulas drives Lyon forward

Jean-Michel Aulas has been president of Olympique Lyonnais for nearly a quarter of a century, during which time he has transformed the club from second division also-rans to seven times champions of France. Here the 60-year-old tells uefa.com why "stability through confidence" is key to success and why he believes the time was right this summer to spend big in search of the European silverware the club craves.

uefa.com: After so many years qualifying directly for the UEFA Champions League, what was it like to go through the play-offs?

Jean-Michel Aulas: Even though the results were favourable [an 8-2 aggregate win against RSC Anderlecht] and both games were quite easy for us, the pressure over whether or not you will participate in the Champions League is enormous. It is so important that even after our 5-1 home win we were still worried about the second game. Huge pressure, but greatly satisfying to be here again. To take part in the Champions League is wonderful and ten years in a row is even more fantastic.

uefa.com: Does starting the season without the title of champions take the pressure off?

Aulas: It lifted the pressure. After seven consecutive titles nobody realises the amount of work you need to get there. We finished third which showed we had the quality to be champions again. We were top of the league for three quarters of the season and the improved level of Bordeaux, Marseille and Paris marks an important evolution for French football. It puts the pressure on those teams, which is better for Lyon this season.

uefa.com: Karim Benzema has left and you brought in a lot of new faces. Will Lyon's style of play change?

Aulas: We had to do something. We played well last season, but we lacked unity and dynamism. We had to solve the problems of the departures of Juninho and Karim to Real Madrid. We invested a lot and renewed a lot with many good players. We want to be more atacking. We have high hopes for this team, which will improve game by game. The team has been changed a lot and we have managed it well.

uefa.com: Was it a difficult decision to stick with coach Claude Puel having lost the title for the first time in eight years?

Aulas: No, it was logical. Claude Puel was appointed coach for four years. Qualifying for the Champions League [play-offs] wasn't bad, it was just inferior to the previous seven fantastic years. It was our decision to keep him and give him the means to achieve his goals. We're proud and happy to have him among us again.

uefa.com: Lyon spent €72m on players over the summer. Are we likely to see this sort of outlay again in the future or was it something that needed to be done now?

Aulas: We had also invested the year before, not as much, but it was still important. After six or seven titles, we wanted to mix our talent with some young elements. We had to invest and I hope next year we won't have to as much. It was a necessary thing to do at a particular point in our evolution.

uefa.com: You mentioned it is the tenth year in a row Lyon are competiting in the UEFA Champions League. Is that an achievement in itself or does Lyon need to achieve more and set higher goals?

Aulas: It is an achievement because consistency is a fundamental part of football. It is also true that in the last two years we have lost in the last 16 against the eventual winners, Manchester United and Barcelona. We really hope to get out of the group, then maybe we can hope for a bit more luck in the draw, because we have always drawn great teams. We must be able to reach the quarter-finals or semi-finals again.

uefa.com: You changed your coach last season and your team. You have been here for over 20 years. Are you the cornerstone of Lyon?

Aulas: This is a very stable organisation. I have been president for 23 years. I have experienced everything, second division, first division, titles. I have a very stable staff, with [general secretary] Marino Faccioli, [special advisor] Bernard Lacombe, [media director] Olivier Blanc all key parts of the organisation. The executive board has strong people who trust me. Stability through confidence is very important for the executive and managerial boards. It allows us to have a positive and ambitious vision.

uefa.com: Would you rather win a European title or reclaim the domestic crown?

Aulas: The Champions League and Europa League are two wonderful competitions. Of course we want to be champions again which is what we have told the players and the coach. But for a club to reach a final or win a European title is highly superior to a domestic title.

Jean-Michel Aulas spoke to uefa.com at last month's European Club Association general meeting in Geneva.