Jean-Michel Aulas is officially a candidate for the purchase of the LDLC Arena in Décines-Charpieu. The purchase of this multifunctional hall, which can host cultural shows and concerts but also ASVEL Euroleague basketball matches, and which has a capacity of 12,000 to 16,000 seats depending on its configuration, would be carried out through its family holding company, Holnest, minority shareholder of OL Groupe.
The former basketball player and current president of ASVEL, Tony Parker, also previously applied for the buyout with a group of investors and in particular the owners of AS Monaco basketball and the Skweek TV channel. The new shareholder of OL Groupe, the American John Textor, expressed his desire to sell the qualified establishment several months ago.of non-essential football assets“.
One of the most beautiful rooms in Europe
“Not only is it one of the most beautiful halls in Europe in terms of concerts, basketball and events, but it is also an incredible achievement that we have made on an environmental level with the president of the urban community (Gérard Collomb, recently deceased), Aulas told Europe 1, at the initiative of the construction of this Arena, located at OL Vallée. The investment, amounting to 141 million euros, is 100% carried by OL Groupe through its subsidiary OL Vallée Arena and benefits from structured financing in the form of equity or quasi-equity of 51 million euros. euros and real estate leasing for 90 million euros“.
OL management announced Monday that it had signed an agreement for the repurchase of a third of the shares of Jean-Michel Aulas for an amount of 14.5 million euros and the abandonment of complaints against his successor John Textor.
“If Lyon wants to get out of this, Textor must let go of the rudder”
Once the buyout is completed, the agreement provides “the withdrawal of ongoing procedures and actions between Holnest, Mr. Jean-Michel Aulas and OL Groupe“, which should, according to a press release, “normalize relationships” between the parties. Appointed executive president for three years, at the time of the sale of his club to John Textor’s Eagle Football group, a year ago, Jean-Michel Aulas was dismissed from his position on May 5.
Relations between the two men then turned sour. In August, the Lyon commercial court ordered the temporary freezing of 14.5 million euros on the club’s accounts at the request of Aulas, who had also filed a complaint for defamation against the American, who had criticized his management of the club and denounced an erroneous assessment of the financial situation of the club.
Sunday, while OL beat Toulouse, the two men appeared together at Groupama stadium.