Why 6th placed Olympique Lyon got relegated to Ligue 2? Here's the story behind it
Olympique Lyon has been relegated to Ligue 2 due to financial debts. By Ravi Kumar Jha Published on June 25, 2025, 08:31 IST
Olympique Lyonnais — seven-time Ligue 1 champions — have officially been relegated to Ligue 2 despite finishing sixth in the 2024/25 Ligue 1 season. The decision, made by the National Directorate of Management Control (DNCG) — French football's financial watchdog, comes as a crushing blow to the club and its supporters.
But how can a team that placed in the top six of the table be sent down a division? Here's the full story behind Lyon's stunning fall from grace. Financial Troubles Dating Back Months
Lyon's financial woes were no secret. Back in November, the club was already hit with a provisional relegation by the DNCG due to mounting debts and irregularities in their financial books. The club, once hailed for its solid management and youth development system, found itself tangled in a web of financial instability, driven by overspending, underperforming investments, and questionable management decisions.
Despite their solid on-field performances that ultimately saw them finish sixth in Ligue 1, a position that should have guaranteed European football, the DNCG maintained its strict stance. Who Is Behind the Decision?
The DNCG is known for taking a no-nonsense approach when it comes to financial oversight in French football. It closely monitors clubs' finances to ensure stability, and can impose sanctions ranging from transfer bans to outright relegation if necessary.
Ahmedabad Plane Crash FootballLigue 1Ligue 2LyonOlympique LyonPSGrelegationUEFA Europa League
Ravi kumar jha is an undergraduate student in Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia and Mass Communication. A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication and he also has a genuine interest in sports. Ravi is currently working as a journalist at Businessupturn.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
43 minutes ago
- The Hill
NATO chief sees as ‘transformational' summit ahead despite stark differences over defense spending
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte was upbeat that the military organization will agree on massive spending hikes at a 'transformational summit' on Wednesday, as member state leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump assembled in The Netherlands. Leaders of the 32-nation alliance are expected to agree a new defense spending target of 5% of gross domestic product, as the United States — NATO's biggest-spending member — shifts its attention away from Europe to focus on security priorities elsewhere. 'So a transformational summit. Looking forward to it,' Rutte told reporters in The Hague, before chairing the meeting's only working session, which was expected to last less than three hours. But ahead of the meeting, Spain announced that it would not be able to reach the target by the new 2035 deadline, calling it 'unreasonable.' Belgium signaled that it would not get there either, and Slovakia said it reserves the right to decide its own defense spending. Rutte conceded that 'these are difficult decisions. Let's be honest. I mean, politicians have to make choices in scarcity. And this is not easy.' But he said: 'given the threat from the Russians, given the international security situation, there is no alternative.' Other countries closer to the borders of Russia and Ukraine — Poland and the three Baltic countries — have committed to the goal, as have NATO's European heavyweights Britain, France, Germany and the Netherlands. On Tuesday, Trump complained that 'there's a problem with Spain. Spain is not agreeing, which is very unfair to the rest of them, frankly.' He has also criticized Canada 'a low payer.' In 2018, a NATO summit during Trump's first term unraveled due to a dispute over defense spending. After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the NATO allies agreed to make 2% of GDP the minimum spending level. Last year, 22 countries were expected to hit that target, up from just three a decade ago.
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
NATO chief sees as 'transformational' summit ahead despite stark differences over defense spending
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte was upbeat that the military organization will agree on massive spending hikes at a 'transformational summit' on Wednesday, as member state leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump assembled in The Netherlands. Leaders of the 32-nation alliance are expected to agree a new defense spending target of 5% of gross domestic product, as the United States — NATO's biggest-spending member — shifts its attention away from Europe to focus on security priorities elsewhere. 'So a transformational summit. Looking forward to it,' Rutte told reporters in The Hague, before chairing the meeting's only working session, which was expected to last less than three hours. But ahead of the meeting, Spain announced that it would not be able to reach the target by the new 2035 deadline, calling it 'unreasonable.' Belgium signaled that it would not get there either, and Slovakia said it reserves the right to decide its own defense spending. Rutte conceded that 'these are difficult decisions. Let's be honest. I mean, politicians have to make choices in scarcity. And this is not easy.' But he said: 'given the threat from the Russians, given the international security situation, there is no alternative.' Other countries closer to the borders of Russia and Ukraine — Poland and the three Baltic countries — have committed to the goal, as have NATO's European heavyweights Britain, France, Germany and the Netherlands. On Tuesday, Trump complained that 'there's a problem with Spain. Spain is not agreeing, which is very unfair to the rest of them, frankly.' He has also criticized Canada 'a low payer.' In 2018, a NATO summit during Trump's first term unraveled due to a dispute over defense spending. After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the NATO allies agreed to make 2% of GDP the minimum spending level. Last year, 22 countries were expected to hit that target, up from just three a decade ago.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Europe Needs Ukraine to Fight Russia With Reduced US Help: Think Tank
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Russia is looking to take its aggression beyond Ukraine, and reduced U.S. support will force European countries to work together to confront this threat, a Kyiv think tank said. A report released Wednesday by the KSE Institute, an analytical center at the Kyiv School of Economics, outlined how Russia's long-range, strategic, and hypersonic weapons program showed Moscow's intentions beyond its full-scale invasion. As the Trump administration previously said that the United States should no longer be Europe's primary security guarantor, Europe requires substantial and sustained defense investments to address the threat posed by Russia, the KSE said. "Russia is preparing capabilities that are clearly not tied to war in Ukraine, including naval forces for a possible confrontation in the Arctic," report co-author Pavlo Shkurenko told Newsweek. Why It Matters The two-day NATO summit started on Tuesday, and on the agenda was the alliance's support for Ukraine in the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin's aggression. However, looming over the summit is U.S. President Donald Trump's insistence that members commit to spending at least 5 percent of their GDP on defense, with the president casting doubt on Washington's security commitment to countries that do not meet this level. The KSE report states that tackling Russia's threat requires not only larger defense budgets but also spending wisely on low-cost and scalable technologies, as well as integrating Ukraine's technical and military capabilities into those of Europe. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks at a press conference in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 24, 2025. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks at a press conference in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 24, To Know In 2018, Putin touted long-range, strategic, and hypersonic weapons, such as the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, the Avangard glide vehicle, the Zirkon cruise missile, and the Poseidon nuclear torpedo, as examples of Russia's growing military prowess. But these weapons have little tactical relevance to the war in Ukraine and instead challenge Western deterrence and defense in the future when the U.S. no longer wants to be Europe's main security guarantor, the KSE report said. Despite economic turbulence in Russia caused by sanctions, Putin continues to drive ever-increasing military expenditure, which is expected to reach 13.5 trillion rubles ($145 billion) in 2025, nearly a third (32 percent) of total budget expenditure. "That much spending in the military sector is creating circumstances for them to then threaten Europe and beyond, " Shkurenko told Newsweek. "We have to understand it's very unlikely that Russia will be interested in any kind of peace as of this moment." Ukraine's experience since the start of the full-scale invasion can be a strategic asset for Europe, offering a blueprint for rapid innovation and defense technologies in a war being fought as much through data and artificial intelligence as it is through munitions, the KSE said. A Ukrainian soldier prepares to launch a reconnaissance drone on March 10, 2025, near Pokrovsk, Ukraine. A Ukrainian soldier prepares to launch a reconnaissance drone on March 10, 2025, near Pokrovsk, Drones Russia's regular barrage of Shahed and reconnaissance drones renders traditional surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) an inefficient defense, the report said, but technology, including interceptor drones—a domain in which Ukraine has expertise—can offer a more cost-effective solution when used in conjunction with air defense. Low-cost attack drones can destroy high-value assets, and as such, Europe can build deterrence against Russia in an agile and cost-effective way, it added. Addressing the NATO conference on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine can produce over 8 million drones of various types annually, but currently lacks the necessary financial backing. Zelensky called for allies to scale up investments in joint weapons production, including drone technologies, artillery, and interceptors and said that Ukraine's defense capabilities are essential to protecting NATO in the long term. The KSE report said Ukraine should be incorporated into European defense and granted partner or observer status in European security committees. Europe also should have "a balanced system of military production," KSE report co-author Olena Bilousova told Newsweek, as the continent can benefit from Ukraine's expertise in, for example, drones, while other countries play to their strengths in air defense or missiles. "We should consider specializations in our common production," she added. What People Are Saying Pavlo Shkurenko, compliance and international sanctions adviser, KSE Institute: "Despite Russia experiencing economic problems, a lot of resources poured into its military industry. That much spending in the military sector is creating circumstances for them to threaten Europe and beyond." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the NATO summit on Tuesday: "We must lead in the drone race, both in strike drones and the weapons we produce become part of a new, stronger European defense and security system." What Happens Next The KSE report's conclusion aligns with Zelensky's message that the cost of supporting Ukraine's defense is minimal compared to what Europe would face if Ukraine were to fall. Zelensky also called on Tuesday for NATO members to increase defense spending to 5 percent of GDP and for 0.25 percent of GDP to support Ukraine's military needs directly, as he warned Russia is planning new operations on alliance territory. The second day of the NATO summit in The Hague on Wednesday will likely see wrangling over whether members can agree on the hefty new defense spending target, as well as whether Trump will attend.
