Applauded for his sporting and economic successes as a leader, Olivier Létang, one of the very best presidents of French clubs, is not unanimously unanimous. The fault lies in excessively demanding working methods for some.
At LOSC, the continuation of a successful journey
A month and a half ago, Olivier Letang added a new feat to his roll of honor. The president of LOSC, who took over a club on the edge of the precipice in 2020 after the mandate Gérard Lopezannounced that the club had “ completely eliminated » ses « 400 million euros in debt “. Yet another feat for the French leader who celebrates his 52nd birthday this Friday, and who has established himself as a reference in his field over the last ten years.
After a notable stint as director of football at PSG (2012-2017), President Olivier Létang erected the Stade Rennais (2017-2020) as a stronghold of French football, with a Coupe de France as a highlight and several consecutive European seasons to boot. Before his work from top to bottom in Lille, allowing LOSC to be crowned champion of France in 2021, to return to the Champions League and, therefore, to clean up its finances in the red. “ His obsession is performance and on all criteriaconfirms Christophe Chenutformer president of Reims who recruited Létang as a player and accountant, in an XXL portrait produced by our colleagues from RMC Sport. Everything must be focused on winning matches. Everything has to be perfect: the diet, the video, the going green. He doesn't miss any details. »
Olivier Létang, the man who does everything (well)
Including the athlete, who is often described as a ultra-interventionist presidenthas more than a right to review recruitment and does not hesitate to greet or reframe his men after matches, like his rant at Saint-Étienne (0-1) or very recently at Bologna (2- 1), for a good cause this time. “ He had us bring the executives together in his office every week to transmit the values, to put a framework in the locker room “, tell Romain Salina former goalkeeper who knew him in Rennes.
His assistant at LOSC is in the same direction. “ He has a global vision of the management of a club, which is not limited only to the field or finances.… All other departments of the club are important. He understood that everything must work in perfect symbiosis for total success.decrypts Sandrine de Castro. He is a person involved and interested in others, who comes into contact with him on a daily basis. When he arrived here, one of his previous assistants called me to tell me that I had a great chance of being able to work with him, and she highlighted his very human side.. »
A special, and sometimes disturbing, personality
However, at LOSC and in its previous clubs, sick leave has increased, as reported by RMC Sport. The fault lies in an excessive workload demanded by this man who “ pushes people to their limits, sets up structures and sometimes hurts egosnote Christophe Chenut. We must accept that not everyone necessarily has the same ability to go so fast, so far. It's not obvious. » Speaking of ego, it is not uncommon to hear that the president's is ” oversized “. Former employees describe a leader who “ likes to shine “, some even going as far as “the Sun King”…
A former employee of Rennes exemplifies: “ I started to show that I didn't really agree and then he called me. He likes to shine, we need to talk about him, we need to recognize that he has done a lot of things ». « He must also progress on pointsconceives Romain Salin, who has kept good memories of his former president. He is quite aware of it, but since he is a hard worker, he also has a very strong ego, because he wants to win and be on the cover. But you have to be the best. » The results at the start of the LOSC season, further magnified by the convincing success in Bologna, will not prove this thirsty for victory wrong.
Ce « laborious ”, as he describes himself, nevertheless remains an employee, as was always the case during his career. In a possible desire for total independence, the president of LOSC would have in mind to buy a club in the long term as was the case during the Covid period, while the investment fund Merlyn Partners, owner of the club, will not remain to eternal life in Lille.
Photo credits : Pascal Della Zuana/Icon Sport
