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The French giants now face the prospect of dropping to the second division
French football powerhouse Olympique Lyonnais, famously crowned Ligue 1 champions seven times in a row, has been dealt a major blow by French financial authorities.
The club faces provisional relegation to Ligue 2 due to severe financial irregularities, casting doubt over its immediate future.
DNCG cracks down on Lyon
The decision comes amidst growing concerns about Lyon's spiralling debts and has left the club scrambling to stabilise its financial situation before it is too late.
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Lyon’s troubles were laid bare when the DNCG (Direction Nationale du Controle de Gestion), French football's financial watchdog, imposed a provisional relegation and a transfer ban on the club.
This follows a troubling report of Lyon's debt rising from €458 million to €508 million under the ownership of John Textor’s Eagle Football Group.
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In a desperate bid to reassure the DNCG, Textor proposed selling players from Lyon or Brazilian outfit Botafogo, another club under Eagle Football Group.
He also mentioned selling a 45% stake in Crystal Palace, a Premier League club in the group’s portfolio, to offset the financial deficit.
Lyon enter troubled waters with relegation looming
Despite Textor’s promises, the DNCG remained unconvinced, issuing harsh sanctions that will force Lyon to address their financial instability urgently.
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If they fail to make significant progress, the club faces relegation to Ligue 2 at the end of the current season.
The financial turmoil may push Lyon to part ways with some of their most promising players to avoid dropping to the lower leagues due to their financial problems.
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Such moves could help balance the books temporarily but would leave the squad significantly weakened, with fans now fearing that the club’s struggles could lead to further instability.
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