Lyon escapes relegation tragedy

Escaping relegation at the last minute, Lyon kept their place in Ligue 1 and also their ticket to next season's Europa League.

Lyon will continue to compete in Ligue 1 in the 2025/26 season.

On the evening of July 9, Lyon's homepage announced: "Lyon welcomes the DNCG's decision allowing the team to continue competing in Ligue 1. We thank the Appeal Committee for recognizing the ambition and determination of the new leadership to seriously manage."

Two weeks ago, Les Gones were relegated by the French Football Financial Control Authority (DNCG) due to unresolved financial issues, putting both their Europa League ticket next season and their Ligue 1 position in jeopardy.

Thanks to the determination of new President Michele Kang, who had just replaced John Textor, and CEO Michael Gerlinger, Lyon had a direct meeting with the DNCG Appeal Committee. All the arguments and financial commitments of the new leadership convinced the review board, thereby overturning the decision to relegate.

However, Lyon cannot breathe a sigh of relief yet. DNCG still imposes strict restrictions on salary and transfer budgets, forcing the club to "cut their coat according to their cloth" if they want to maintain their competitiveness in Ligue 1 and the European arena.

Lyon's new leadership team stressed that this is just the first step on the journey to restore confidence and affirm the position of the "Lion of the Rhone". Now, the most important goal for Lyon is to prepare for the new season. They will return to both the domestic arena and the Europa League, with many challenges but also full of hope.

Notably, businessman Textor, who took control of Lyon in June 2022 and owns 77% of the club's shares, announced his resignation from all management positions. In an effort to improve Lyon's financial situation, Textor agreed to sell 43% of his shares in Crystal Palace to Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets football team.

The deal needs Premier League approval, a process that usually takes around two months. The proceeds from the sale of Crystal Palace shares will be used by Textor to repay Lyon's debt.

Source: https://znews.vn/lyon-thoat-tham-kich-rot-hang-post1567403.html