Selfies, sharp exchanges and market strolls as Jean-Michel Aulas courts Lyon voters | OneFootball

On a sunlit campaign Sunday across Lyon's markets, ex-OL president Jean-Michel Aulas, 76, canvassed as favourite before the 15 March first round, drawing selfies and a few spiky exchanges. According to L'Équipe, he remains targeted by the outgoing green majority yet fronts the Coeur Lyonnais slate.

The night before, the left and greens rallied on 8 March, pushing feminist themes and denouncing masculinism and the far right. Mayor Grégory Doucet, 52, said Aulas mirrored Laurent Wauquiez and lacked a clear, prepared programme.

The former OL chief, now FFF vice-president and president of the Ligue féminine de football professionnel, was in Dijon watching France women beat Poland 4-1 in 2027 World Cup qualifying, then on Sunday night he saw OL draw 1-1 with Paris FC. Between, he toured stalls, saying face-to-face politics fascinates him and that many reject politics as practised.

At place Guichard, a brief flare-up saw Emmanuel Imberton confront a passer-by who refused a leaflet and cited the killing of Quentin Deranque. Later, a woman in a keffieh pressed Aulas over La Jeune Garde, he called for dissolving extremes, she argued only the far right.

Aulas downplayed such moments, pointing to hundreds of supportive encounters and demands for solutions. Residents raised congestion, insecurity and a city-centre slump they blame on traffic plans and pedestrian zones.

He visited Ramadan markets in Vaulx-en-Velin and place Bahadourian in La Guillotière, tasted a hot brick in an Algerian restaurant, FaceTimed a fan in Marrakech and reminisced about OL from Eugène Kabongo to Farès Bahlouli. With backing from Karim Benzema, Aulas is courting working-class voters. Dismissing claims he looks tired, he says he trains four hours a week and feels energised.

Source: L'Équipe