Just three days after facing administrative relegation to Ligue 2, Olympique Lyonnais is reportedly undergoing significant behind-the-scenes work to implement a new leadership structure. This potential change could see Michele Kang and Michael Gerlinger taking executive control of the struggling club.
Sources indicate that Kang and Gerlinger are being positioned to potentially replace current president John Textor. Textor`s hold on the OL presidency is reportedly weakening due to increasing pressure from ARES Management, the American investment fund that provided a €400m loan to finance his 2022 takeover and is now exerting more influence.
Michael Gerlinger, currently the Director of Football at Eagle Football Group, is expected to lead OL`s critical appeal before the DNCG regulatory body in July. He is also considered a candidate to step into the General Manager role, a position that has been vacant since Laurent Prud’homme was sidelined in April.
Alongside Gerlinger, Michele Kang – who already serves as president of OL’s successful women’s team and is a major shareholder in Eagle – is being considered for the interim executive president role at OL. To meet the DNCG’s financial requirements and attempt to reverse the administrative relegation, Kang, along with fellow stakeholders Jean-Pierre Conte and Textor himself, are reportedly preparing to reinvest substantial funds as a last resort.
Adding to the speculation, two members of the Eagle board, including Christopher Mallon, were observed at the club’s Décines headquarters on Friday. They were reportedly working on a presentation dossier specifically intended to convince the DNCG. Their presence has intensified rumors that ARES Management may be seeking to gain control, or at least force a major restructuring, following months of apparently unsuccessful efforts to reduce John Textor`s authority within the club.
