The DNCG (National Directorate for Club Management Control), the financial watchdog of French football, has not taken any action against Olympique Lyonnais, the LFP announced on Thursday.
During its examination, the Rhone club was represented by its owner and president, the American John Textor, and its general director, Laurent Prud’homme.
During the month of June, before its appearance before the supervisory body, OL validated the sales of the LDLC Arena, the multifunctional hall which Eagle Football Group (formerly OL Groupe) owned after having been at initiative for its construction, for around 160 million euros, and the sale of its American women’s football club, Seattle Reign FC for 53 million EUR.
However, Olympique Lyonnais will still have to sell several players this summer.
The departures of Rayan Cherki and Maxence Caqueret and even the Irish defender, Jake O’Brien are being considered.
During the 2023-2024 financial year, contract transfers including those of Bradley Barcola to Paris Saint-Germain (40.5 m EUR), Castello Lukeba to RB Leipzig (30 m EUR), Romain Faivre to Bournemouth ( 14 m EUR) or Thiago Mendes to Al Rayyan (4 m EUR) already amount to 96.9 m EUR for the financial year.
A year ago, on July 4, 2023, the DNCG took measures to control payroll and transfer allowances, decisions confirmed on appeal on July 18. This situation had forced the Rhone club into summer recruitment, carried out at a discount and, in the end, missed or circumvented the rules with the loan of Ernest Nuamah acquired by Molenbeek, another club in the Textor galaxy, before lending him to Lyon .
This had led OL to last place in the standings with the serious threat of relegation.
On December 5, the DNCG validated a new upwardly revised budget presented by the Rhone club and softened its position, allowing it to carry out more complete recruitment in January, notably through loans with purchase options.
These acquisitions were positive: Lyon climbed to 6th place in Ligue 1 and qualified for the Europa League while also playing in the Coupe de France final, lost 2-1 to PSG at the end of May.
