Seven-time Ligue 1 champions Olympique Lyonnais have been officially relegated to Ligue 2, the Ligue de Football Professionel have confirmed in a statement.
Flashback to November, Lyon were provisionally demoted to Ligue 2 due to their financial situation, with reports that the club had debts of over £400m. The club then sought to rectify that situation, selling players like Rayan Cherki, Maxence Caqueret, Gift Orban and Said Benrahma. Club president John Textor also sold his stake in Crystal Palace to improve his club’s financial state and ceded control of the women’s team to Michele Kang.
However, Ligue 1’s Direction Nationale du Controle de Gestion (DNGC) were not satisfied by the measures taken, and Lyon have been relegated. Lyon are expected to appeal the decision.
Just last week, both Chelsea and Liverpool FC were linked to their 20-year-old Belgian winger Malick Fofana.
Chelsea are closing in Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens, and assuming that fulfils Chelsea’s insatiable need for signings in the wing department, Liverpool could have a clear run at Fofana.
A selling club in crisis, rival teams leaving the race... it’s shaping up nicely for Liverpool if they want to make a move for Fofana.