The decision was announced by the FFF last night, after Lyon successfully appealed against their relegation for financial reasons. Previously, on June 24, the French Football Financial Supervisory Authority (DNCG) forced Lyon to play in Ligue 2 due to financial instability.
Lyon escaped relegation next season (Photo: Getty).
However, in the latest hearing, Lyon presented a new financial plan with a clear commitment to remedies, including an additional €100 million cash injection and another €100 million in collateral over the next two years.
The main problem that makes Lyon face relegation penalty is debt up to 541 million euros (equivalent to 634 million USD), along with the salary fund swelling out of control in the context of tight cash flow.
Lyon owner John Textor, through his company Eagle Football Group, was forced to resign as chairman and step down from the board of directors at the request of shareholders. He was replaced by Michele Kang, a successful businesswoman and shareholder of Eagle Football Group.
The French giants released a statement: “Olympique Lyonnais welcomes the decision of the DNCG to allow the club to continue competing in Ligue 1. We thank the appeal committee for recognizing the efforts and ambition of the new board, who are committed to managing the club seriously and sustainably in the future.
The new management team, with the strong support of our shareholders and lenders, are extremely grateful for the support from both inside and outside the club. Today’s decision is the first step towards restoring confidence in Olympique Lyonnais. We can now focus entirely on our sporting objectives and on preparing for the new season.”
Notably, according to the French press, PSG is the club that spent money to help Lyon escape the tragic situation. In the 2023/24 season, PSG reached an agreement to recruit striker Barcola with Lyon for 50 million euros, paid in installments. Now, the Paris team has decided to pay 50 million euros directly to help Lyon escape the difficult financial situation.
Crystal Palace are at risk of not being able to participate in the Europa League when Lyon returns to Ligue 1 (Photo: Getty).
PSG has a reason to do so. If Lyon is relegated, the image of Ligue 1 will be seriously affected. The "Lion of the Rhone" is a team with many achievements and contributed to the name of Ligue 1 when it won 7 consecutive championships 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 or Hugo Lloris.
If Lyon appears, the copyright package of Ligue 1 will not decrease in price. Besides, fans are also more interested in the tournament.
Lyon’s stay in Ligue 1 complicates matters for FA Cup winners Crystal Palace, as John Textor also owns a stake in the English club through Eagle Football Group. He is in the process of selling his Palace stake to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson for an estimated £190 million ($254 million), but the deal has yet to be finalized.
According to UEFA regulations, if an individual or organization owns more than 30% of shares in two different clubs, those teams will not be allowed to participate in the same continental tournament.
UEFA once affirmed that if relegated, Lyon would not be allowed to compete in European Cups, but now the French club has been retained in Ligue 1. This makes Crystal Palace need to prove to UEFA that they have a clear separation of ownership and management from Lyon if they want to participate in Europa League next season.
Otherwise, the English team will be relegated to the Europa Conference League next season. UEFA is expected to make a final decision in the next few days.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/ga-khong-lo-bong-da-phap-thoat-xuong-hang-than-ky-psg-vung-tien-cuu-vot-20250710102330644.htm
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