It appears John Textor`s tenure and somewhat contentious relationship with French football are drawing to a close. The American investor has stepped down from his role as president of Olympique Lyonnais. This move coincides with an internal restructuring at the club, which has seen Michele Kang appointed as the new Chairwoman and president as of this morning.
In an official statement released on the Eagle Football Group website, Textor commented on his decision:
“On a personal level, I am truly looking forward to the reduction of my day-to-day management responsibilities in Europe, so I can focus on markets where we have the full freedom to run our football clubs…to invest, innovate, grow and compete.”
This follows a challenging period for Lyon, including a recent decision by French football`s financial watchdog, the DNCG, last week to relegate the club to Ligue 2 over financial irregularities. Lyon is currently in the process of appealing this ruling. Textor recently divested his shareholding in Premier League side Crystal Palace. However, the same statement revealed that Eagle Football Group is actively seeking to gain control of another English club.
Textor further elaborated on his future focus, stating:
“OL are great hands with Michele, and I will focus on Botafogo, Daring Brussels and our next club in England.”
According to reports in the English media, the American businessman is potentially interested in a bid for Sheffield Wednesday, among other prospective targets within England.
