Ligue 1 giants Lyon have been relegated from the French top flight due to their massive debts which previously surpassed €500m.
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Lyon relegated to Ligue 2Kicked out of Ligue 1 for huge debtsCan appeal the decisionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Lyon, along with several top Ligue 1 sides, appeared before the National Management Control Directorate (DNCG), as they were questioned on their financial health. It has been decided that OL will be relegated to Ligue 2, though Monaco, Nantes and Paris FC escaped punishment.
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Last year, Lyon reported debts of around €500 million (£418m). However, Eagle Football Group, the consortium that owns French side, activated several financial levers to try and convince the DNCG that the situation at the club has drastically improved, including the sale of Textor’s stake in Crystal Palace and Lyon’s women’s team. However, none of the above steps met DNCG's requirements, and after Lyon were provisionally relegated back in November, that has now been confirmed following this up-to-date financial review.
WHAT TEXTOR SAID
Earlier, Textor sounded positive after meeting with the French football financial watchdog, as he told the media that he remained positive about the outcome. He said: "You can see from the contributions of our shareholders, we have invested new capital, not only for the DNCG, but also for our UEFA licensing process. Not to mention the good news of the sale of Crystal Palace. Our liquidity situation has improved considerably."
AFPWHAT NEXT FOR LYON?
Lyon can now appeal the DNCG decision, but if their punishment is upheld, the giants of France football will be forced to play in the second division for the 2025-26 campaign.
