Professional football club, Paris St-Germain (PSG) has threatened Olympique Lyonnais aka Lyon’s owner, John Textor with legal action over alleged defamatory and damaging remarks about it.
Gatekeepers News reports that this comes after Textor’s recent interview with Brazilian publication Globo, where he claimed he was competing against “a country, not an owner” and accused PSG of “unbridled spending without restrictions.”
The American businessman and investor, through his Eagle Football Holdings group, is the majority shareholder in Lyon and the largest shareholder in Premier League club Crystal Palace.
PSG, in a letter signed by its general secretary, Victoriano Meleros, and seen by BBC Sport, referred to Textor’s comments as “false, incendiary, undignified, and nonsensical.”
The letter stated, “We would like to respond to a few of your most unwarranted smears that are particularly false, hypocritical, and disrespectful not only to PSG but the wider French football family.”
PSG countered Textor’s claims by pointing out issues Lyon faced under his management, including financial scrutiny by UEFA and the DNCG, French football’s financial watchdog.
The DNCG had announced in July last year that it would monitor Lyon’s transfers and wage bill for 2023-24 season due to insufficient financial guarantees. These measures were lifted in December after the DNCG approved Lyon’s new budget.
PSG also stated that a portion of the club is owned by US investor Arctos and that less than 20% of PSG’s commercial revenue comes from Qatari companies, with the club having signed 50 new partners in the last six years, only one of which was a Qatari brand.
PSG further warned that if Lyon owner continues his “defamatory and damaging statements,” they would be compelled to take legal action in France.
