French club Lyon risks relegation to second tier if finances are not rectified

By The Associated Press

Lyon's Nicolas Tagliafico during the French League One soccer match between Lyon and Saint-Etienne at the Groupama stadium in Decines, outside Lyon, France, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Laurent Cipriani]

PARIS (AP) — Seven-time French champion Lyon risks relegation to the second tier at the end of the season and has been hit with a transfer ban because of financial irregularities. The decision to provisionally relegate Lyon to Ligue 2 followed an audit of the club’s finances by the French league’s soccer watchdog known as DNCG. The DNCG says Lyon’s financial situation must improve by the end of the season and that no signings can be made in the January transfer window. The DNCG will also oversee the players’ salaries. Lyon is owned by American businessman John Textor who also has stakes in Premier League team Crystal Palace and Brazil’s Botafogo.