OL to restore its name after John Textor's exit

Lyon is taking another formal step away from John Textor's ownership model, with the club set to restore OL as its legal name. The decision gives a clear institutional signal that the former Eagle Football structure is being dismantled after Michele Kang's acquisition of the club in June.

The proposal was approved by the board at a meeting in Lyon on Thursday and announced the next morning. Shareholders will vote on it at a mixed general meeting scheduled for October 16. Until that meeting, the company will use OL Groupe as its commercial name instead of Eagle Football Group. The change will therefore begin in practice before it receives final approval from the shareholders.

The rebranding does not resolve the financial issues inherited from the previous period. Lyon was placed under restrictions in negotiations with the DNCG two years ago and remains subject to scrutiny from French football's financial regulator. UEFA's Club Financial Control Body is also monitoring the club, with that oversight due to continue until 2028. The name change makes Textor's period increasingly distant in the club's public identity, but the financial consequences of that era remain part of Lyon's current situation.

The October meeting will also examine a move for the club's stock-market listing from Euronext Paris to Euronext Growth. The proposed change is intended to place the company within a regulatory framework considered more appropriate for its present needs.