Textor takes Lyon power struggle to court

John Textor has filed a lawsuit against Eagle Football Group and Olympique Lyonnais seeking payments of almost €21m, extending the legal fallout from his departure from the French club’s ownership structure.Textor and Eagle Football Holdings LLC issued a summons before the Lyon Commercial Court on July 30, with a hearing scheduled for September.Eagle Football Group said: “John Textor and Eagle Football Holdings LLC are seeking payment of €2.5m under a management fees agreement, as well as €18.4m, including interest, under a short-term advance.”The company said the final amount attached to the advance remained subject to confirmation.The claim has been brought against Eagle Football Group and its OL SASU subsidiary, the operating company behind Lyon.It follows the June settlement of debts owed by the Lyon group to Textor, Eagle Football Holdings Bidco and associated entities.That settlement was completed alongside the sale of Eagle Football Holdings Bidco’s controlling stake in Eagle Football Group after the company entered administration.Michele Kang subsequently acquired an 87.78% position in the listed parent company, completing a change of control designed to stabilise Lyon after months of financial and governance uncertainty.The latest case shows that Textor’s exit has not ended disputes over how money moved between Lyon and the wider Eagle Football network during his ownership.Management fee and short-term advance agreements are likely to place renewed attention on the financial relationships between the club, its parent company and Textor-linked entities.Eagle Football Group said: “This action is part of a series of legal proceedings initiated for several months by John Textor against OL, its former or current shareholders, as well as its new management.”The company said it would respond through the appropriate legal channels and reserved the right to seek compensation arising from the proceedings.Textor built Eagle Football around stakes in clubs including Lyon, Crystal Palace and Botafogo, but the model came under pressure from debt obligations, regulatory scrutiny and competing capital demands across the portfolio.Kang’s takeover separated Lyon’s immediate future from Textor’s control, but the continuing litigation creates potential costs and management distractions during the ownership transition.The September hearing will begin the court process, with the central issue being whether the disputed management fees and shareholder advance remain payable after the wider debt settlement and change of control.