July 9, 2025
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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​Eagle Football Chairman John Textor Congratulates Olympique Lyonnais on Qualification
for Ligue 1 and UEFA Europa League
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Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA: John Textor, Chairman and CEO of Eagle Football Holdings, today issued the following statement in response to the decision by the French Football Federation (FFF) to uphold Olympique Lyonnais’s (OL) appeal, reversing the earlier decision of the DNCG, and confirming OL’s participation in Ligue 1 and UEFA Europa League:
Chairman and CEO, John Textor said:
“I would like to congratulate our whole team at Olympique Lyonnais for demonstrating clearly what we have long known, that our great club in Lyon is financially strong and ready to continue its climb up the tables in France and in Europe. We previously cleared through a rigorous sustainability review by UEFA, and now, under the remarkable leadership of our Chair Michele Kang, OL has succeeded on appeal, in cooperation with the DNCG, to confirm our place in Ligue 1 and in Europa League.”
He continued, “Today’s decision is a vital recognition not only of the club’s current sporting and financial strength, but also of the commitment demonstrated by our shareholders and our leadership team in Lyon, led by Michele Kang. I want to thank Michele, and the incredible legal and financial professionals who represented us with integrity and fortitude, under very difficult circumstances. Lastly, I would like to thank our supporters for their undying love for this great club. These were unbelievably painful days and I am so happy for you that the dark clouds have parted and the light is shining brightly again in Lyon. Allez l’OL!!!”
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About Eagle Football Holdings Limited
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INSPIRED BY FOOTBALL, DRIVEN BY FOOTBALL…MUCH MORE THAN FOOTBALL
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Eagle Football is a sports, entertainment and technology company that engages with a global audience through its portfolio of interests in iconic football clubs and related assets around the world. Eagle Football is the leading shareholder of SAF Botafogo (reigning champion of Brazil and South America), Olympique Lyonnais (historic multi-year champion of France), Crystal Palace Football Club (2025 FA Cup Champion), and Daring Brussels
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Fueled by our portfolio of iconic football clubs, our passionate, global audience, and our position as a preferred destination for players—our goal is to build the leading football related enterprise on Earth. We operate on the belief that the audience of a club is always more valuable than the club, and our scalable entertainment and technology strategies are designed to maximize our total addressable market opportunity, far beyond the reach of typical football clubs. Our mission is to create value for our shareholders by being a champion for our players, our clubs, our fans and our communities, and the magnificent game of football.
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Inquiries:
Eagle Football Holdings Limited