Football in France: Fan protests in Lyon after a forced relegation – top player desires

The expected offset from the seven-time French football champion Olympique Lyon triggered massive fan protests in the city. The largest Lyon fan association “Bad Gones” hanged protest posters with the inscription “Textor Dehors” (“Textor out”) in several distinctive locations, which are directed against the American club owner John Textor.

The banner were attached to the goal of the basilica Notre-Dame de Fourvière, near the Groupama Stadium and on the bridges over the Rhône and Saône rivers. “John Textor was never the right man and it will never be,” says a explanation of the “Bad Gones”. “We ask his numerous creditors to take control again and hand over the keys for Olympique Lyonnais to someone who knows how to respect our institution and wash it in from the numerous abrasion she suffered.”

The French football finance supervision DNCG announced on Tuesday after a hearing that the sixth in the table of the past season should not remain in Ligue 1 due to its financial situation. A forced relegation at the end of the season had already been imposed on probation against Lyon in November 2024. At that time, the debts of the top club amounted to around 500 million euros.

Textor announced an objection to the decision of the DNCG in the evening. “We will go to the appeal to show that we are able to provide the necessary means in the form of cash flow to guarantee the survival of OL in the L1,” says a statement by the club.

The American also has shares in other professional clubs such as Botafogo in Brazil or RWD Molenbeek in Belgium via his holding Eagle Football. It was only at the beginning of the week that Textor signed a contract to sell his shares in the English Cup winner Crystal Palace. The remaining of Olympique Lyon in the first French league should be ensured with the income from this business.

In view of the uncertain future of the series champion from 2002 to 2008 and Champions League semi-finalists from 2010 and 2020, other clubs have already opened the hunt for the best players of Lyon. In particular, the Belgian winger Malick Fofana (20) is courted by Chelsea. Interested parties are also available for Argentine international Thiago Almada (24), Georgia’s EM striker Georges Mikautadze (24) and the former Bayern professional Corentin Tolisso (30).