By Le Figaro with AFP
Published 6 minutes ago, Updated now
Textor. Frédéric Chambert / PANORAMIC
The financial policeman decided this Tuesday to authorize OL to be able to recruit during the winter transfer window.
Before traveling to Marseille this Wednesday as part of a late Ligue 1 match and in a more than tense context, Lyon (finally) received good news. The National Directorate of Management Control (DNCG) of the Professional Football League on Tuesday relaxed its monitoring of the finances of Olympique Lyonnais, while asking the club to respect the revised upwards budget that it presented.
«Supervision of payroll and transfer allowances»: the financial policeman of French football was laconic but OL will still be able to recruit this winter.
However, from a source close to the Rhone club, the DNCG has taken into account an upwardly updated budget which should allow it to strengthen its workforce through an envelope which provides for acquisitions for around 65 million euros offset by sales up to EUR 20 million. OL reacted in a press release by welcoming “regain its budgetary flexibility through the supervision of the DNCG on a new budget revised upwards».
«By validating the new budget presented to it by Olympique Lyonnais and simply asking it to respect it, the DNCG allows the club to present itself in a favorable situation before the winter transfer window so as to be able to consolidate its team by acquiring new players», continues the club which “positively welcomes the decision of the financial regulator».
In July, the DNCG imposed a control on the payroll and transfer allowances which had largely constrained the recruitment of OL, currently 18th and last in Ligue 1 after completely missing its first half of the season and dismissing two coaches, Laurent Blanc and Fabio Grosso.
This time, to relax its supervision, the financial policeman of French football has retained contract transfers for almost 100 M EUR this summer, the next sale of the American club OL Reign to the Seattle Sounders for 53 M EUR, exchange of assets of OL women and the refinancing of the debt to the tune of EUR 385 million, elements presented by president John Textor last week.
Lyon must play in Marseille on Wednesday a late match of the 10th day postponed due to the stonework of the Lyonnais’ bus, during which former coach Fabio Grosso was seriously injured in an eye. However, he will not be present after being dismissed on November 30, replaced by a temporary worker, Pierre Sage.
