- Lyon have successfully appealed their relegation and will stay in Ligue 1
- Les Gones will also retain their Europa League spot for the 2024/25 season
- The DNCG’s initial decision over financial violations has been overturned
Key Takeaways:
Lyon will not be relegated to Ligue 2 after all. The French club have won their appeal against the DNCG’s decision and will remain in Ligue 1, with their place in next season’s Europa League also confirmed.
The appeal hearing, initially scheduled for a later date, was brought forward and took place today, resulting in an immediate and favourable verdict for the club.
🚨 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: Olympique Lyon have won their appeal and will not be relegated to Ligue 2.
Lyon will stay in Ligue 1. pic.twitter.com/0kitpj0HJT
— The Touchline | Football Coverage (@TouchlineX) July 9, 2025
The initial ruling came from the National Directorate for Management Control (DNCG), citing violations in financial reporting. According to the official announcement on the Professional Football League’s website, the decision followed a meeting where Lyon president John Textor failed to convince the committee not to impose sanctions.
Lyon’s management had been warned as early as November that the club risked expulsion from the top flight if its financial situation was not corrected. At the time of the ruling, the club carried debts of €505.1 million.
Despite finishing sixth in Ligue 1 last season and qualifying for the Europa League, Lyon’s top-flight status had been under serious threat. If the DNCG’s decision had been upheld, Reims, who lost the play-off to Metz, would have taken Lyon’s place.
The financial regulator had not imposed any similar sanctions on Monaco, Nantes, or Paris FC, despite broader scrutiny of club finances across French football.
With the appeal now resolved, Lyon’s position in Ligue 1 and European competition is secure.