Lyon have won their DNCG appeal against relegation and will remain in Ligue 1 for the 2025/26 campaign.
It was reported last month that Les Gones would be demoted to the second tier of French football as they could not fix their financial issues, with one attempt to do so being the sale of Rayan Cherki to Manchester City.
Lyon appealed the DNCG’s ruling, and it was reported on Wednesday that the French giants will remain in Ligue 1 for the upcoming season as their relegation has been overturned after winning their appeal.
Nous restons en Ligue 1 🔴🔵
L’Olympique Lyonnais se félicite de la décision, rendue ce jour par la DNCG, de maintenir le Club en Ligue 1.
— Olympique Lyonnais (@OL) July 9, 2025
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Everyone associated with Lyon will be over the moon with Wednesday’s news, while one player in Pep Guardiola’s squad may yet benefit from the French giants remaining in Ligue 1.
Bernardo Silva hugs Claudio Echeverri after scoring a goal for Man City.
Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP via Getty Images
Lyon are an option for Claudio Echeverri again
As part of Man City’s deal for Cherki, it was agreed with Lyon that the Premier League giants would give the French club a player on loan for the 2025/26 campaign, a term that has yet to be upheld by the Manchester club.
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Lyon wanted to sign defender Juma Bah; however, with relegation hanging over Les Gones, the 19-year-old opted to move to Nice instead.
Claudio Echeverri is another player Lyon like, and now that the French giants have been reinstated in Ligue 1, that could open this path again for the Argentine star.
The midfielder is expected to go out on loan before Man City begin their Premier League campaign in August, as it will be crucial for his development, due to the 19-year-old not expecting to get many minutes in Manchester over the next 12 months.
It was reported on Tuesday that Girona are also keen on signing Echeverri on loan, but that they could find it hard to get a deal done, given the other clubs involved in the race, such as Lyon.
What is expected of Claudio Echeverri at Man City
Man City signed Echeverri from River Plate in January 2024 as part of a £12.5m deal, and the expectation is that the 19-year-old could go on to become one of the best players in the world.
Fans of the Manchester club are very excited by Echeverri, due to the immense talent he possesses, which was justified recently when the youngster scored a stunning goal against Al Ain at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Guardiola will be putting no pressure on the 19-year-old over the coming years; however, the Argentine will be expected to get better each season, which means the loan move he makes this summer is a crucial one.
It remains to be seen where Man City think is best for Echeverri to develop next, and with Lyon back in Ligue 1, that gives the Premier League club another option to think about.