Big shock in football world: French "giant" was relegated

(Dan Tri) - A shock has struck the French football world when the mighty Lyon team was relegated to the French second division (Ligue 2). This is a heartbreaking news for the team that once dominated French football.

The decision to demote Lyon to Ligue 2 was made by the French Professional Football League (LFP) following a final decision from the DNCG Financial Control Committee.

Lyon was relegated to Ligue 2 due to financial crisis (Photo: SS).

According to DNCG, the financial plan submitted by Lyon “does not meet the minimum requirements to cover operating costs for the 2025/26 season”.

The reason lies in Lyon's debt of up to 175 million euros, which DNCG had warned about since November 2023. At that time, the "Lion of the Rhone" was temporarily relegated and accepted a transfer ban.

This summer, Lyon sold a series of top players such as Anthony Lopes, Maxence Caqueret, Said Benrahma and especially young talent Rayan Cherki (to Man City) but still could not save the club's dire financial situation.

The crisis was further exacerbated by the revelation of debts to the Eagle Football Group, the group that owns Lyon and is run by American John Textor. The total debt of the Eagle group (which includes Lyon, Botafogo, Molenbeek and is a major shareholder in Crystal Palace) was more than 500 million euros. Eagle's plan to transfer capital from Botafogo to Lyon was rejected.

In an effort to salvage the situation, John Textor sold 43% of his shares in Crystal Palace to billionaire Woody Johnson for $254 million (€218 million). He once confidently declared: “Lyon’s cash situation has improved significantly. We have enough resources for the 2025/26 season.” However, the deal is still awaiting approval from the Premier League and has not convinced DNCG.

Lyon under Juninho dominated French football (Photo: Getty).

Lyon has just 10 days to appeal. If they cannot prove their financial capacity, the powerful French club will have to play in Ligue 2 next season.

This is a sad thing because Lyon used to be a big force in French football. They won Ligue 1 7 times from 2002 to 2008. This team is also a formidable force in the Champions League. The club has produced many big stars such as Juninho, Benzema, Hatem Ben Arfa and Hugo Lloris.

However, Lyon’s sporting performance has been declining, causing the club to lose a large source of income. Last season, they finished sixth in Ligue 1 and were eliminated from the quarter-finals of the Europa League. Over the past two years, DNCG has imposed salary and transfer limits on Lyon, but the warning measures have not saved the collapse of the empire.

Lyon last played in Ligue 2 in 1989. Lyon's Ligue 1 place next season is likely to be handed over to Reims, who finished 16th in Ligue 1 last season but were relegated after losing to Metz in the play-offs.

Before Lyon, another French football powerhouse, Bordeaux, fell to the Third Division (National) in 2024 due to financial and governance crises.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/cu-soc-lon-lang-tuc-cau-ga-khong-lo-cua-phap-bi-giang-xuong-hang-20250625100825232.htm