OL Groupe announced on Monday, the finalization of his acquisition by the holding company John Textor, Eagle Football, for just over 800 million euros.
MO12345LEMONDE
“The realization of operations with Eagle Football has now taken place”, stipulates the press release issued on Monday, December 19 at the end of the Paris Stock Exchange. Six months after the opening of exclusive negotiations and a series of postpones, the case is therefore sealed: the holding company of the American businessman John Textor has become the majority shareholder (80 %) of OL Groupe, Owner of the Olympique Lyonnais football club (OL).
“It goes without saying that these operations have taken a long time, recognized the native of the Missouri (midwest of the United States) at a press conference in the wake of the announcement. We had the funding, but the banks needed a little more long -term clarity. We knew that we had capital to complete the operation. For weeks we were ready. “” The route was more delicate than we had imagined Initially, “abounded the historic president of OL, Jean -Michel Aulas, explaining that the drop in the dollar -the transaction being made in euros -, as well as the increase in rates due to inflation had complicated the Give.
At the end of June, Mr. Textor was committed to acquiring, through Eagle Football, all of the shares and half of the Osrane (obligations convertible into shares issued to finance the construction of Groupama Stadium) held by Holnest – The AULA family holding company – which represents 27.7 % of the capital, as well as all of the shares held by Pathé (19.3 %) – the group chaired by Jérôme Seydoux – and those of the investment fund Chinese IDG Capital (19.8 %), both having announced their intention to sell in March.
The American holding company also planned to subscribe to a capital increase of 86 million euros to allow OL Groupe to repay loans in an accelerated manner and to strengthen the team in an attempt to find the European elite. Total amount of the operation: 884 million euros, said Jean-Michel Aulas.
The press release from OL Groupe also specifies that, as expected, “Eagle Football will deposit as soon as possible (…) a public supply of simplified purchasing, in cash, actions and osranes that it does not have at Price of three euros per share and 265.57 euros per Osrane “. A mandatory procedure when a person crosses the detention threshold of 30 % of the capital of a listed company.
If the American investor was delighted that “a new story begins today”, his arrival will not mark, at least in the early days, a revolution within OL. Jean-Michel Aulas, 73 years old and at the head of the club since 1987, will retain the operational presidency for “at least three years” surrounded by his team, he repeated on Monday. The composition of the OLG board of directors, on the other hand, has evolved to reflect this change of shareholding. Mr. Aulas will also integrate Mr. Textor’s holding company as an independent administrator.
This agreement “will be a date in the history of the development of European football, but also international thanks to the grouping within the same structure, Eagle Football, our interests in football clubs rich in their culture and their experience Acquired for decades: Olympique Lyonnais, Crystal Palace, Botafogo and the RWD Molenbeek ” – respectively French, English, Brazilian and Belgian clubs – argues the American in the press release released this Monday.
Capital of French football in the 2000s, with seven rang champion titles from 2002 to 2008, the Rhone club is currently occupying a modest 8