Official: Michele Kang, owner of Lyon

The American businesswoman of South Korean origin Michele Kang has become the new owner of the Olympique Lyon (OL) having paid 26.3 million euros for 87.78% of the shares and having promised to inject up to 71 million over the next two seasons.

This was reported this Friday by Eagle Football Group SA, the group of the previous owner John Textorwho was president until June 2025.

“As announced on June 23, 2026, Michele Kang remains president (position he has held for a year) and CEO (…), while Michael Gerlinger continues as CEO of OL”, Eagle Football stated.

“I am extremely happy that this operation came to fruition. Thanks to an unprecedented effort, we have been able to close this transaction in record time and allow OL to write a new chapter in its history. “It’s an immense relief for everyone who loves this club,” Kang said.

Economic problems

Lyon was relegated to the second division in June 2025 due to a debt that amounted to 175 million euros. The club finally did not go down after the authorities in charge of financial supervision of the clubs positively appreciated the replacement of Textor by Kang.

Textor’s administration had been the subject of warnings since the end of 2024 for the lack of control of its accounts.

Nor had its timeshare strategy helped the American investor. In addition to having bought Lyon in 2022, he owns the Brazilian Botafogo and Belgian RWD Molenbeek.

Lyon is one of the most traditional French clubs and has seven Leagues, five Cups, eight Super Cups and a League Cup, as well as a European Intertoto Cup.

Figures like the French have passed through the ranks of Lyon Karim Benzema, Hugo Lloris, Éric Abidal, Bernard Lacombe, Alexandre Lacazette or Jean Tigana, the Brazilians Sonny Anderson, Juninho Pernambucano and Endrickor the Argentine Lisandro Lopez.