John Textor promises Lyon will not be relegated

Olympique Lyonnais “will not be relegated to Ligue 2” promised OL president John Textor on Saturday, after the threat of a demotion at the end of the season brandished Friday by the financial policeman of French Football due to the poor economic health of the Rhone club. “We will not be relegated. It wasn't true at the time (last season in sport, editor's note), it's still true today.declared the American businessman during a press conference, while reinforced security measures had been taken in front of the training center for fear of a demonstration by supporters.

Friday, the National Directorate of Management Control (DNCG) of the Professional Football League decided to “demotion as a precautionary measure at the end of the current sporting season” of OL, currently 5th in Ligue 1 and very in debt. “We have resources that go far beyond the club. We have shareholders with funds and capital. Nobody will allow the club to be relegated. We don't have a money problem. It’s a problem of perception.”the leader argued on Saturday.

We are very optimistic about our model but some people are skeptical.

John Textor

The DNCG also imposed a recruitment ban on Olympique Lyonnais during the winter transfer window and a control of its payroll, two sanctions for which the club does not yet know whether it will appeal. “And we cannot appeal on a warning”continued Mr. Textor regarding the demotion as a precautionary measure, deploring that this decision had been disclosed in the press “even though it should be confidential. We will take care of our promises and we will try to reassure the supporters. We are very optimistic about our model but some people are skeptical”he regretted.

John Textor also affirmed that the DNCG's decision would not have an impact on the negotiations concerning the transfers of players which bring in around 90 million euros each season to Olympique Lyonnais, which hopes to recover 75 million euros during the winter transfer window. In July 2023, the DNCG had already taken measures to control the payroll and transfer allowances before lifting them.

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