Foot OL – OL: Textor seeks 300 million euros, stadium placed as guarantee – Olympique Lyonnais

A year after buying Olympique Lyonnais, John Textor is seeking to raise 300 million euros. For this, the American businessman will put the stadium as security, and he also wants to sell part of the future arena.

Josh Noble, journalist Financial Times, sends a shiver down the spines of Lyon supporters this Wednesday. In a long article, this business specialist announces that John Textor has asked the investment bank Goldman Sachs to allow him to raise 300 million euros to help bring the accounts of Olympique Lyonnais into balance and give air to invest in the sports sector. To afford OL Groupe, Textor called on several financiers, but some already want to recover their investment. This is particularly the case of Iconic Sports Acquisition Corp, which belongs to billionaire Alexande Kastner who reportedly requested the immediate reimbursement of 75 million euros. In order to contribute to this fundraising, the boss of Olympique Lyonnais agreed to put the Groupama Stadium as guarantee. And that’s not all.

The LDC Arena sold, the Groupama Stadium as guarantee

He is in the process of unraveling the OL ecosystem (up to the stage) to compensate for the fact that he is the mop of lenders who are starting to worry and who therefore need to be reassured.

This is extremely risky for the future of the club (if it still has one). https://t.co/HqHFxfzPzt

— Charly M. (@SeriousCharly) September 27, 2023

The Financial Times also states that to bring cash into the coffers ofOL Group, John Textor will also sell all or part of its arena. “ The club has launched a tender for 40% or full control of the LDLC Arena, the new multi-purpose venue which is expected to be open by the end of this year 2023 », Specifies the economic media, the inauguration of which is planned for the end of November with a Euroleague basketball match between ASVEL and Bayern Munich. “ John Textor remains convinced that Eagle Football’s model, which he describes as seeking out previously unknown talented footballers and avoiding star players, and selling those in demand for financial gain, will ultimately pay off. fruits in France », specifies Josh Noble.

And the latter explains that the one who paid 800 million euros to Jean-Michel Aulas to buy OL Groupe could decide to list Eagle Football on the American stock exchange. Everything is good to find money, even if it seems very nebulous for Lyon supporters, who want more than anything for Olympique Lyonnais to be and remain a football club. It’s obviously a mess, even if John Textor is optimistic: “ Give me a year and a half. Our approach has worked in other markets, we will see if it works in Lyon. »