2024-08-23 03:01:00
In the midst of a deep financial crisis, the French club Lyon Olympic ireported that All of its staff was put up for sale due to the need for raise 100 million euros before the transfer market closes. The decision could trigger a mass departure of playersincluding that of Nicolás Tagliafico, The left back of the Argentine national team, world champion and two-time champion of America, who joined the club in July 2022 and has played 69 matches.
According to data published by the sports newspaper The team the problem It is based on financial management during the current transfer market in which a total of 134.29 million euros were spent on the purchase of eight players.which generated economic pressure that forced the club to take extreme measures to balance the books. With just a few days left until the end of the transfer window, Lyon only managed to raise 24.25 million euroswhich puts him in a desperate situation.
The club’s owner, the American financier John Textor, He promised the financial body DNCG that he would achieve raise the necessary 100 million euros before the market closes at the end of this monthHowever, the current reality is very different and has only been raised a quarter of the amount promised by Rayan Cherki’s departures to Fulham in England in exchange for 15 million euros and Mamadou Sarr for 10 million. Any failure to meet the financial targets set by the French Ligue 1 could have strong economic and sporting consequences for Olympique Lyon, which Last season it had to refinance a liability of 320 million euros.
Textor is the businessman who owns the company 777 Partners, which in addition to Olympique Lyon, It is the owner of Botafogo of Rio de Janeiro (current leader of the Brazilian championship and qualified for the quarter-finals of the Copa Libertadores) and Crystal Palace of England and intends to buy the historic English Everton. However, Premier League rules do not allow an owner to own two clubs in the same competition. So, in order to acquire the Liverpool team, Textor would have to sell 45% of his shares in Crystal Palace.
Olympique Lyon was founded in 1950 and with seven titles won, it is the fourth with the most championships in the entire French league and the third in number of fans behind Olympique de Marseille and Paris Saint Germain. In 2016, a Chinese private equity fund acquired a 20% stake in the Olympique Lyonnais Group for €100 million. The fund was managed by IDG Capital Partners.