With new president John Textor previously indicating that major organisational changes would be taking place this summer at Lyon, the American businessman is closing in on a first hire for the new-look set-up at the club.
The Eagle Football chief – who also owns Botafogo and Molenbeek, and has a minority share in Crystal Palace – had explained that his priority was not necessarily to hire a Director of Football, but instead to first of all bring in a Frenchman to head the scouting department. Current Head of Recruitment Bruno Cheyrou would then be moved on to a role within Eagle Football.
Ligue 1’s seventh-placed finishers have opted to hire Matthieu Louis-Jean, according to L’Équipe. While Red Star’s Red Hammache was being considered. However, the fact that he would have arrived along with Le Havre director Mathieu Bodmer worked against the former Monaco scout’s chances, given Textor does not want a Sporting Director for the time being.
Louis-Jean, a currently Marseille’s Chief Scout, will join Les Gones and enjoy will be a wider remit than his predecessor Cheyrou, effectively leading the way on transfer strategy making final decisions in tandem with Textor. He was also endorsed by the businessman’s main sporting advisor and Crystal Palace director Dougie Freedman, who was with Louis-Jean at Nottingham Forest during their playing days.
Cheyrou, meanwhile, while take up a “player advocacy” role, leaving the Lyon set-up for a position that will see him liaise between players from the various clubs under the Eagle umbrella and the organisation’s management.
GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin
