The sports season is over, and OL will experience more challenging moments in the coming weeks, as the situation of the Rhone club is tense. Olympique Lyonnais is expected to have a slightly less complicated financial year. Their administrative relegation to Ligue 2 was only lifted at the last moment of the appeal when John Textor was removed from catastrophic financial discussions with the French football financial watchdog. Since then, relations have improved, but the reality of the numbers is also present, and it should not be forgotten. Two major deadlines for OL in the transfer window Thus, OL will certainly have two enormous deadlines to meet if they do not want to be reprimanded again. Firstly, the current financial year will inevitably be deficit-ridden due to the legacy of John Textor’s makeshift work. However, efforts on the payroll have been noted, and the DNCG regulatory body is willing to show lenience, provided OL demonstrates their willingness. According to L’Equipe, this could involve one or two significant sales by June 30 to conclude the financial year properly. After that, things will calm down, but with a significant opportunity. Indeed, if OL were to miss out on Champions League access by the end of August, it is likely that the DNCG would demand substantial sales to offset this revenue loss. This could amount to €30 million to generate income and avoid falling back into structural deficit. This means the departure of one or two key players between the possible elimination from the Champions League qualifiers and the end of the early September transfer window. This puts pressure on Paulo Fonseca’s team, who know that for a successful sporting season, the European matches in the summer will be crucial. If the DNCG has slightly loosened the reins, they are ready to come back with force if financial targets are not met. The same goes for UEFA, which closely monitors OL’s accounts.
