Article by Daniel Scorpie – published Wednesday, 06 August 2025, 11:05 / Updated Wednesday, 06 August 2025 11:07
Lyon escaped the relegation to Ligue 2, but not the financial problems. More recently, not only with the French football financial authorities, it has been conflict, but became the target of Botafogo's accused, a Brazilian club, which is also controlled by John Texator. He claims that Lyon forced the sale below the real value of players to save the French!
The club that recently participated in the World Clubs Championship 2025, organized in the United States, threatens to seek justice, asking Lyon to compensation of 64 million euros, as the daily Marca writes.
At the Eagle Football Group, led by the American John Texator, it can never be quiet, as proof that one of the clubs he patronizes a “sister team” like Lyon. Botafogo asks for 410.2 million Brazilian real from the French formation for sales that they consider unfavorable as a price.
Luiz Henrique, in action at Zenit St. Petersburg / Photo: Imago
On July 9, Lyon obtained the cancellation of relegation in Ligue 2
The holder of Cope Libertadores claims that he has agreed to give the players Luiz Henrique, Igor Jesus and Jair “at prices well below their market value” to make an urgent capital to save Lyon.
3Players are considered by Botafogo as sold at a loss: Luiz Henrique at Zenit (33 million euros), Igor Jesus (19 million) and Jair Cunha (12 million), both at Nottingham Forest
OL obtained the survival in Ligue 1 at the last moment, passing through a critical period, following the decision of the relegation given by the National Management Control Directorate (DNCG), the Financial Supervisory Authority of French Football.
We remind that on November 15, 2024, the aforementioned body ordered the administrative relegation of the French club. It was a historical decision and confirmed on June 24, but later, after calls, it was annulled on July 9.
“In stringent need to raise money for Lyon and improve the liquidity rate in order to solve the serious financial impasse, however, the problems for Botafogo, one of the largest teams in Brazil,”, “ explains the above quoted source.
The messages displayed all over the city by Lyon's fans against the club owner, John Textor / Photo: X
“Botafogo had to negotiate with third parties the transfer of certain players who could be transferred to Lyon”
“Following the DNCG decision of November 15, 2024, which forbade Lyon to register new players, Botafogo was forced to negotiate with third parties certain players who could be transferred to Lyon, like Luiz Henrique, Igor Jesus and Jair, under unfavorable conditions,” the official communication sounds.
Brazilians will also compensate for Thiago Almada's free loan (now at Atlético Madrid) to the French “sister” in season 2024-2025.
Botafogo had to help Lyon based on Textor's “Eagle Family” concept, which establishes that all the company's clubs work as one.
“This situation dissatisfied the Brazilian club, which filed a process and presented documents that prove that The group from Rio de Janeiro sold to the French club the property rights of four players in order to improve OL's sports performance. These efforts represented a waste of human resources ”I also say Botafogo.
Michelle Kang replaced John Textor in Lyon's leadership. Photo: Facebook Olympique Lyonnais – ol
“100 million euros through the Cayman Islands and another process!”
And it's not everything in this scandal. According to “o Globo”, Botafogo allowed, with the approval of the club's board of directors, the transfer of 100 million euros in his accounts, to be paid by the new investor, Eagle, based in the Cayman Islands.
“However, it is possible that this money will never be, as Eagle has filed a process to block this transaction. The company tries to prevent John Textor from carrying out the company without the company's knowledge.” explained the quoted source.
The American businessman no longer runs the football empire because of Lyon management issues, although the rightful owner remains.
