Everything in French football isn't all dandy at the moment. Aside from the national side, two domestic sides aren't seeing rainbows and unicorns. The sides in question are Olympique Lyonnais (Lyon) and Olympique Marseille. The former is facing possible relegation and the latter is dealing with an outraged manager.
Lyon have found themselves not being able to pay their bills. As a result, they've been provisionally relegated to Ligue 2 by the French league's National Directorate of Management Control (DNCG) due to financial irregularities. They have been given until January to address these issues and avoid demotion to the second tier. They have been given until January to address these issues and avoid demotion to the second tier.
The DNCG has also imposed a ban on Lyon making any signings during the upcoming January transfer window. Additionally, the financial watchdog will oversee the club’s player salaries, closely monitoring their compliance with financial regulations. These measures highlight the severity of the club's financial crisis and the urgency required to restore stability.
Despite the troubles, Lyon's owner, John Textor, believes that everything will be okay at the end of the day. He has assured fans and stakeholders that measures have already been implemented to resolve the financial issues flagged by the DNCG.
He said, "You shouldn't just look at Olympique Lyonnais, but the fact that we are a group that owns several clubs. I'm confident in our figures and the good news is that the DNCG is independent, they are very intelligent people, accountants, financiers who can look at the figures...We're going to generate several million dollars in cash over the next few months, and we're in it for the long haul."
Unfortunately, this isn't an isolated incident. The DNCG have come after the club before. They have criticised the club for failing to provide adequate financial guarantees, a claim contested by Textor. The parallels with another French football giant, FC Girondins de Bordeaux, are concerning. Bordeaux, six-time Ligue 1 winners, suffered a dramatic fall from grace, eventually being relegated to the fourth tier after declaring bankruptcy and relinquishing their professional status.
Lyon's storied history and status as one of France's most celebrated clubs hang in the balance. The coming months will be critical as the club races to resolve it's financial irregularities and secure it's future in France’s top flight. Failure to comply with DNCG's demands could see Lyon face an unthinkable demotion, a stark reminder of the financial pitfalls that can befall even the most successful football institutions.
It's been reported from French outlet, L'Equipe, that Lyon have placed the majority of their squad on the transfer market in an attempt to reach their financial sales target before the end of the transfer window. As per the outlet, "The management of OL has just sent out the message that, from now on, just about everyone is for sale, as long as someone pays the right price."
It's unknown as to which players are up for sale. What's known is that Lyon have to fork out €100 million before the transfer window closes in January. L'Equipe reported that they still need €75 million to reach their target.
They have spent €134 million in the last two months, more than any other club in France. Last month, Lyon assured Ligue 1's financial authority that they would accumulate €100 million in sales this summer, avoiding any further restrictions from the league's financial watchdog.
Last December, the club raised over €300 million to refinance their debt.
Another French club, Marseille, are dealing with an angry and outraged manager, Roberto De Zerbi. At the beginning, De Zerbi had a magical "honeymoon" period. He led the club to four wins out of the first five games of the season. However, reality soon kicked in.
After that period, Marseille would loss three of their next six games. This form is said to have created a poisonous environment. Their last game before the international break, a 3-1 loss to Auxerre, angered De Zerbi. This comes from the club conceding all three goals in the first half to a promoted side.
He said in a post-match press conference that he's ‘ready to walk away’ and even ‘give up’ on his salary but his public statements were just the last part of an outpouring of rage that started immediately after the match, as he told his footballers they have ‘no balls’ and that he felt ‘humiliated’.
According to The Athletic, De Zerbi made an outburst inside Marseille’s dressing room on their Instagram official account: "He said to his players: ‘You have no balls, you humiliated me tonight, you humiliated your club’."
The coach then addressed the captain, Leonardo Balerdi: "You of all people have the least ball here." He then went on to remind his players he’s not here ‘for the money’. He said, "I’m not here for the money, I’ve told you that already, I’m here because of what this club represents and how much I love football. You let me down, you let everybody down."
The Athletic also specified that, since De Zerbi doesn’t speak French, all his words were pronounced in Italian, with a translator explaining their meaning to the players.
While the ex-Brighton coach said he wanted to compete for the title when he arrived in France last summer. His side now sits third in Ligue 1, nine points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain.
According to another report, De Zerbi reportedly showed his Marseille players a contract offer from Manchester United during one of his team talks. He explained, "I came to Marseille for the Velodrome, to play at the Velodrome. And I can't get the players to give here what I see in training and away games. It’s my fault; it’s my responsibility. Playing at the Velodrome is a privilege. I want to convey to the people who work with me what I think about football, and I can’t do that."
Amid exit talks, Marseille sporting director, Mehdi Benatia, said, “We’re talking about a crisis but we’re third in the table. We’re in a project with 12 new guys […] when you speak about a young team, you’re not going to come in and say that you’re going to walkover everyone."
Benatia also entered through the Marseille doors this past summer. He has backed De Zerbi to stay, "He chose OM. When you know the person, you know he suits the city. It’s the love, the football, the passion. He told me: "If I’m the problem, don’t hesitate. I don’t need money." When you talk about responsibility, he assumes his. The confidence that we have in him, I don’t even need to talk about it."
The situation with Lyon seems to be quite hectic. It's always a shame when a historic club suffers through a massive punishment that can possibly ruin the reputation. Seeing things like that happen can possibly deter transfer targets from joining the club. Aditionally, having to sell your best, "assests" just to breakeven can be hugely demoralising for both the club and the fans.
As for De Zerbi, I think he's being a bit melodramatic. Reacting the way he did wasn't necessary. A loss is a loss. Anything can happen in football. This includes a complete shock and unexpected result. I don't understand why he had a potential contract from another club. He wasn't contemplating for another job. I think it's stupid and ridiculous that he still has it in his possesion. I would like to know if any of the players or fans felt the same way I do.