French Ligue 1 side Olympique de Lyon President Jean-Michel Aulas said that the club’s new stadium, inaugurated on Saturday in a 4-1 win over Troyes, is the “economic key to climbing into the European top 10,” according to Jean Le Bail of L’ÉQUIPE. The “Parc Olympique Lyonnais,” situated in east Lyon, cost €405M ($442M) and took three years to build. The project was funded “almost entirely privately.” The city of Lyon covered the €202M ($220M) cost of “parking and access.” But OL is now the “only large club in France to own and manage its stadium.” The 58,512-seat stadium is the “third largest capacity venue in France” behind Paris’ Stade de France (81,338) and Marseille’s Vélodrome (67,000). Aulas said, “We took some risks, but it is expected to quickly balance out and even turn a profit. We will not lose any more money than we’ve already lost in the past five years.” The “new business model” promoted by Aulas and co-shareholder Jérôme Seydoux depends on the “intensive use of the facilities (other sports, events and other initiatives).” The stadium will host the European Rugby Championship finals in May, as well as six Euro 2016 matches in June. Aulas: “Soon we should generate from 40 to 50 million euros ($44M-$55M) in resources. And between 70 and 80 million euros ($77M-$87M) annually and go from €120 million ($131M) to €200 million ($219M) in sales, excluding player sales.” The club is set to pay back €13M ($14.2M) annually in loans for 27 years, a timeline Aulas “wants to shorten, much like what was done by his counterparts at Arsenal and Bayern Munich.” The club has yet to find a naming rights partner. Aulas “has been in contact with several large groups for months without success.” Aulas: “The question of naming is much less difficult to adjust when one is under private management.” It is reported that Aulas is seeking a deal worth €100M ($109M) “for 10 to 15 years” (L’ÉQUIPE, 1/9).
CONNECTED: Olympique de Lyon partnered with Orange to make its new stadium France's first 100% connected stadium. Parc Olympique Lyonnais provides free, private high-speed WiFi to supporters and on Saturday, Orange deployed its new mobile app developed by the club to give supporters a new experience throughout matches. Fans can use the app to download match-related content (statistics, replays, interviews and competitions) and access services, including securely ordering and paying for food, drinks and merchandise from their seats (Orange).
