The end of a long, very long soap opera. This Monday, in a press release, Olympique Lyonnais made official what many of the club’s supporters had been waiting for a long time: the sale to the American holding company Eagle Football Holding, managed by the multimillionaire John Textor. The latter became, on Monday, the majority shareholder of OL Groupe, which includes the football club Olympique Lyonnais.
“A new story begins today,” says the American investor, quoted in this press release, published after the closing of the Paris stock exchange, after six months of negotiations punctuated by several postponements. “Today represents a new beginning for Olympique Lyonnais (….), we are proud to reach this exceptional agreement”, continues Textor.
Jean-Michel Aulas remains at the helm
As agreed, Jean Michel Aulas, 73 and boss of the club since 1987, “will keep the operational presidency of Olympique Lyonnais for at least three years and will remain surrounded by his team”, he specifies.
This agreement “will be a landmark in the history of the development of European football, but also internationally thanks to the grouping within the same structure, Eagle Football, of our interests in football clubs rich in their culture and their experience acquired over the decades: Olympique Lyonnais, Crystal Palace, Botafogo and RWD Molenbeek”, continues the American investor.
Eagle Groupe has notably planned to subscribe to a capital increase of 86 million euros, which should allow OL Groupe to repay loans in an accelerated manner and to strengthen the team in order to try to find the European elite.