Friday evening, the National Directorate of Control and Management (DNCG) announced the precautionary demotion of Olympique Lyonnais at the end of the season if its financial health does not improve.
Big club in danger. After the Girondins de Bordeaux relegated to National 2, it is the turn of Olympique Lyonnais to be threatened.
The National Directorate of Control and Management (DNCG) was not convinced by the economic plan of the American president of the gone club, John Textor. Not only will OL not be able to recruit a single player during the next transfer window, in addition to controlling the payroll, but they will be demoted at the end of the season if they fail to provide guarantees on restructuring. of the debt of Eagle Football Group, the holding company that owns Olympique Lyonnais, estimated at more than 450 million euros…
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Already a starting plan
Businessman in the highly contested sport, majority shareholder of OL since 2023 but also of the Brazilian club Botafogo and the Belgian club Molenbeek, John Textor was nonetheless optimistic after presenting his debt restructuring plan to the DNCG on Friday . “I am confident in our figures”, “we are going to bring in several hundred million cash in the coming months” he declared in particular, banking on cash inflows coming in particular from his other clubs but also, according to the newspaper “L’Équipe”, from an entry of the group on the New York Stock Exchange.
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“The local commissioners only looked at the French football club and did not consider the hundreds of millions of dollars that will come from the different parts of our organization,” he nevertheless added, as if to warn of the decision of the financial policeman.
TV rights much lower than those hoped for
For John Textor, the enemy is “a big club linked to Qatar”, while OL's goal is to be selected in the Champions League this year. “We earn around 90 million euros per year from the sale of players,” he said. “It will continue but don't worry, he won't be your favorite player, the best player, if we don't have someone to replace him and play even better.” In the meantime, a cost rationalization plan accompanied by a voluntary departure plan has already been implemented by Eagle Football Group, while John Textor will sell his personal stake in the English club Crystal Palace estimated at 40 million euros. Not sure that this is enough, especially since the amount of TV rights is much lower than expected.
