John Textor, owner of OL (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD / AFP)
John Textor will be received this Friday by the financial policeman of French Football. The owner of OL will have to be convincing.
A new audition for John Textor. The boss of Olympique Lyonnais will be received this Friday by the DNCG. A mid-season meeting with the financial policeman of French football which promises to be delicate for the American businessman. Indeed, with a deficit of 25.7 million euros, to which are added nearly 500 million euros in debt, the Rhone club's accounts are in the red (read here). John Textor will have to provide certain financial guarantees. And not just projections like he likes to do so much. Our colleagues from L'Équipe mention a sum of between 100 and 200 million euros to be contributed.
Textor must contribute at least 100 million euros
“It's not a surprise. The figures are stubborn, it's necessarily worrying. The situation was already worrying even before John Weaver don't take over the club. He put a lot of money into the buyout and more into the sportsman. It created a negative spiral. We have entered a vicious circle.”explained on RMC Vincent Chaudelthe director of the Sport Business Observatory,
Fan concern
In recent hours, if OL fans have expressed their concern, within the club confidence still remains. Eagle Football Group (formerly OL Groupe) is banking on several financial operations to replenish the coffers. In a press release published last week, EFG announced the contribution of “75 million euros by the end of December 2024 in the form of equity and/or proceeds from the sale of players held by clubs in the Eagle Football Holdings group., “the contribution of a maximum amount of 100 million euros at the start of 2025 from Eagle Football Holdings” and the “completion of player transfers during the January 2025 transfer window”.
Sale of players starting this winter
OL could therefore lose players this winter. And not least. Rayan Cherki and Malick Breathe represent the highest market value of the current workforce. “When everyone knows you have to sell, that's rarely when you make the best salesrecalled Vincent Chaudel still on RMC. The ones you are going to sell are the ones that have a market value, therefore a sporting value.”
The worst sanction? A relegation as a precautionary measure.
In the meantime, what are the risks for OL if John Weaver fails to show its credentials, that is to say find cash, by the end of the season? Supervision of recruitment and payroll. And worse: relegation as a precautionary measure.
