Relegated to Ligue 2 by the DNCG, Olympique Lyonnais plays its survival on July 10 before the FFF appeal commission. And if the failure were to be confirmed, the collapse would be total: TV rights divided by 20, untenable payroll, domino effect on sponsors, and ultimately … A scenario at La Bordeaux 2022 or Strasbourg 2011. Because in Lyon, the cost structure is based on Ligue 1. The Ligue 2 would not be viable. Not long.
The abyss that threatens OL
It is only in a second step that we discover the extent of the problem. According to the team, to convince the DNCG, OL will have to inject € 100 million in cash into its accounts by Thursday, and guarantee an additional € 100 million to cover the season. These funds must be immediately visible or guaranteed by firm credit lines. A drastic requirement, but not exceptional with regard to the Lyonnais liability.
Olympique Lyonnais, an inevitable financial and sports sinking?
As it stands, likely sales (Nuamah, Fofana, etc.) would not exceed € 60 million. The ARES Fund has still not released its sequestration account. Michele Kang, new president, explores the track of a ready-made with an American bank, but the deadlines are tight. On June 24, only blurred commitments had been presented. This time, the guarantees will have to be concrete.
Why this rescue seems almost impossible
Three actors can change everything. Ares, who holds € 425 million in receivables, has every interest in securing his investment. Kang, a respected billionaire, must establish its credibility. Finally, if a banking establishment agrees to pledge the Groupama Stadium, OL could hold. Otherwise, relegation would only be the start of a larger collapse.
If the 200 M € cannot arrive on Thursday, OL could slide from a floor … then a chasm. And this time, nobody guarantees a rebound in Jean-Michel Aulas.
