OL management announced Monday that they had signed an agreement for the buyback of shares of the former president of the club Jean-Michel Aulas and the abandonment of the complaints which opposed him to his successor the American John Textor.
The agreement, approved by a board of directors, provides for the repurchase of “one third of the shares” still held in the club by the Aulas family holding company, Holnest, i.e. 4,826,540 shares at a price of 3 euros per share, i.e. around 14.5 million euros, according to a press release.
“Thanks to John for reaching out to me”
Once the takeover has been completed, the agreement provides for “the withdrawal of ongoing procedures and actions between Holnest, Mr. Jean-Michel Aulas and OL Groupe”, which should, according to the document, “normalize relations” between the parties.
“Thanks to John for reaching out to me to unite our efforts for an OL who needs it but who will come back. All legal procedures have been stopped and the initial agreement of May 8 will be respected. My commitment to the FFF and women’s football will be total. Thank you,” responded the former Lyon owner.
This announcement comes the day after Lyon’s victory against Toulouse (3-0), during the 15th day of Ligue 1, a meeting which gave John Textor and Jean-Michel Aulas the opportunity to appear together for the first time in months.
Relations between the two men had turned sour this summer. In August, the Lyon commercial court ordered the temporary freezing of 14.5 million euros in the club’s accounts at the request of Aulas. The former president of OL 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 club’s financial situation.
This open war between the two men weighed on a team also struggling on a sporting level. Despite its victory over Toulouse, Lyon remains last in the championship, three points behind TFC, 15th and first non-relegation.