Lyon’s Europa League spot in limbo following their Ligue 2 relegation | OneFootball

Can Lyon still be able to feature in the Europa League following their Ligue 2 relegation? It’s highly unlikely according to a report on Wednesday from L’Equipe. On Tuesday, the DNCG – Direction Nationale du Contrôle de Gestion, the financial regulator for French football – decided not to overturn Lyon’s provisional Ligue 2 relegation due to Eagle Football’s rising debt.

After the DNCG’s decision was made public, Lyon have released a a rather bullish statement mentioning their intention to appeal their Ligue 2 relegation. Les Gones are confident that they have sufficient ressources for the upcoming season, in which they were supposed to feature both in Ligue 1 and in the Europa League. Given they finished last season in sixth place and that the French FA have reissued them an UEFA licence, a Ligue 2 relegation would not in itself prevent Lyon from competing in the Europa League.

However, given the club’s dire finances, UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) have negotiated the terms of a settlement agreement with OL. The deal would include a fine likely exceeding €10 million, along with strict measures such as a wage bill cap and transfer supervision, all tied to a roadmap toward financial recovery. Should they fail to respect UEFA’s requirements, Lyon’s punishment would be more severe, which broadly means a ban from UEFA competitions.

What’s more, L’Equipe understands that this deal between UEFA and Lyon would be null and void if Les Gones‘ relegation into Ligue 2 would be confirmed. Without a deal, it’s likely Lyon would be barred from playing in the Europa League. This outcome would open the door to Europe’s second-tier competition to BlueCo-owned Strasbourg, and Strasbourg’s Conference League spot would go to Lens.

GFFN | Bastien Cheval