Lyon Relegated to Ligue 2 Over Financial Breaches, Club Set to Appeal

Lyon Relegated to Ligue 2 Over Financial Breaches, Club Set to Appeal

Seven-time French champions Olympique Lyonnais have been relegated to Ligue 2 for the 2025–26 season following a ruling by French football’s financial watchdog, but the club retains the right to appeal the decision.

French football authorities confirmed on Tuesday that Olympique Lyonnais will play in Ligue 2 next season after the National Directorate of Management Control (DNCG) upheld their administrative relegation due to unresolved financial issues. Despite finishing sixth in Ligue 1, Lyon failed to convince regulators they had resolved their debts, which reportedly exceed €500 million.

Club owner John Textor, who recently sold his stake in Crystal Palace, attended the decisive hearing and is expected to lead Lyon’s appeal in the coming days. The club hopes the appeal will buy time to meet the DNCG’s financial requirements and potentially overturn the demotion.

Lyon’s relegation marks a dramatic fall for one of France’s most storied clubs, which dominated Ligue 1 in the 2000s. Unless the appeal is successful, Lyon will start the 2025–26 campaign outside the top flight for the first time in decades