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@TimesSport🔺NEW: Crystal Palace may be demoted to Conference League if Lyon win appeal Full story from @martynziegler and @Lawton_Times⬇️
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DNCG Demotes Lyon to Ligue 2; Seven-Time Champions Plan Appeal
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French football’s financial watchdog, the Direction nationale de contrôle et de gestion, confirmed on 24 June that Olympique Lyonnais will be administratively relegated to Ligue 2 next season, citing insufficient financial guarantees. The sanction comes despite the club finishing sixth in Ligue 1 and securing a Europa League berth.
Lyon, champions of France seven times between 2002 and 2008, said the ruling was “incomprehensible” and will lodge an immediate appeal. Owner John Textor’s Eagle Football Group argued that recent cash injections and the sale of a 43% stake in Crystal Palace have strengthened liquidity for the 2025-26 campaign.
Eagle Football revealed roughly £422 million in debt last October and has since sold players and trimmed payroll to shore up finances. The DNCG nevertheless ruled that the measures fell short of its requirements; if the appeal fails, Stade de Reims—relegated in the playoffs—would reclaim a place in Ligue 1.
UEFA has provisionally cleared Lyon to enter the Europa League but said participation depends on the outcome of domestic proceedings. The club has up to seven days from receipt of the written decision to file its case, after which it could pursue further remedies before France’s sports and administrative courts.
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