[SportBoy333]

From what I understand as of right now its around 130 million. The question I have is how high can it go. Teams like Barca,Madrid, Chelsea,Man U, Milan, Inter, Juve are well over 200 million and I am wondering if Lyon some day can reach that level or is their some kinda of ceiling they have to hit. I dont know how rich Aulas is but I do think he's willing to spend what it takes to stay on top as long as it doesnt cause them to go into debt. If they keep finishing in the top 3 in France and keep making the Champions League every year like they have done, the budget has gone up each year and will probably continue to do so as long as they keep making the C1.

[guignol]

i don't think the budget is as high as 130M€ this year, though that is a possible figure for the income side of the ledger; there will be a tidy surplus.

the OL frog would make a big mistake trying to turn itself into the madrid ox, and i'm sure that JMA knows his la fontaine by heart.

carew showed impeccable logic when he said OL can win the big cup: "we can win it all, but seven or eight other clubs can also do that. The side with the most luck will win it at the end."

OL are where they need to be already. 100, 200 or even 300 millions can't buy the desire, the concentration and yes, the luck to bring home the cup.

[AllezParisAllezPSG]

i'm pretty sure its around 110... but it has increased A LOT over the years... hopefully it will reach somewhere around 150 in the medium term, something to maybe help finance a new stadium, something lyon desperatly needs...

[DaeHaMinGuk]

I don't think Lyon should really buy guys for anything more than maybe 15 mill euros. Their starting XI is good enough to compete with anyone in the world. The only shortcoming I see is that they could use a bit more depth. You can find adequate backups such as a Pedretti for around 3-6 million euros.

Right now, I just hope Lyon can retain their XI, then add a couple pieces here and there.

I hope they don't sell anyone unless they get 15 mill+. I know Juninho will be coveted by many teams shortly, and because of his age, teams probably won't offer anything more than 5 mill euros. That said, it sure as hell is not worth it for Lyon to sell him at a low price, no matter what the age.

I hope that the Essien money will help us with contract extensions to keep the European giants at bay, as well as funding for new players here and there.

I keep hearing people say that should Lyon not win CL, a massive overhaul would take place.

Why in the world would Lyon do that? A massive overhaul would threaten CL qualification, which is where probably at least 1/4th of Lyon's revenue comes from.

As I said, Lyon does not need to change much other than adding depth.

I'd say our starting lineup is as good as Porto's was in 2004, when they won. Ditto for Liverpool in 2005.

[guignol]

Originally Posted by DaeHaMinGuk

I know Juninho will be coveted by many teams shortly, and because of his age, teams probably won't offer anything more than 5 mill euros. That said, it sure as hell is not worth it for Lyon to sell him at a low price, no matter what the age.

juni's going nowhere. he got the deal he wanted and barring a pipe and slippers adventure in qatar he'll finish his career here.

Originally Posted by DaeHaMinGuk

I hope that the Essien money will help us with contract extensions to keep the European giants at bay, as well as funding for new players here and there.

i think that's precisely the idea. aulas had a sizeable war chest this summer that took no account of essien's departure. he basically spent that, plus the 10M€ for tiago, and put the rest into the kitty. what's come out or been earmarked from funds has been for juni, flo and djila.

Originally Posted by DaeHaMinGuk

I keep hearing people say that should Lyon not win CL, a massive overhaul would take place. Why in the world would Lyon do that?

the whole organization, from JMA to the players, realizes this truth: OL has the team to win the CL, but so do half a dozen other clubs. the official goal is the final! saying they can win the big cup doesn't mean they will or they must. next year will be another year, and there's no reason OL won't be in the same position, with the same chances. so i don't see any revolution coming, either from management, houllier, or the players.