Olympique Lyon will actually have to drop into Ligue 2 unless it can raise enough money to restore its liquidity. How could that happen? A number of players are in the spotlight.
While the soccer world is still rubbing its eyes in disbelief at how a once-proud soccer club like Olympique Lyon could have ended up in such a hopeless situation, the Lyonnais are working hard to avert this scenario. Behind the scenes, transfers, sources of funding, and new leadership are being considered.
The fact is: The DNCG, the French financial supervisory authority, has denied OL liquidity, meaning the club must be relegated. However, it can still appeal, generate money, and plug its financial gaps. The Lyonnais have been doing this for months, selling Rayan Cherki to Manchester City for a good €42 million, for example, and terminating the contract with captain Alexandre Lacazette, who is currently without a club. But that has not been enough for the DNCG so far. What can help now?
Gerlinger as Textor’s successor?
From a purely financial point of view, other regular players will have to follow, with Malick Fofana possibly moving to Chelsea, whose departure could bring in a mid-double-digit million euro sum. The transfer fees for former Munich player Corentin Tolisso or Nemanja Matic, formerly of Manchester United, are not quite as high, but OL would save a lot in salaries with the two professionals.
Either way, fans are furious about Textor’s behavior, who recently admitted to mistakes on Brazilian TV. How he intends to rectify them remains unclear. One thing is certain: a future with the American entrepreneur is no longer realistic. According to the French daily newspaper L’Equipe, discussions are already underway in the background about a successor as (interim) boss. The candidate: Michael Gerlinger, a German who once worked in the legal department at FC Bayern.
At least there is some positive news: if Lyon does not get relegated, they will be able to take up their place in the Europa League next year. This decision alone shows that Lyon are confident that they will avoid forced relegation, as they did last November. However, a lot still needs to happen for this to happen.