Lyon Owner Textor slams Ligue 1 Chief as PSG’s lapdog

0

Lyon owner John Textor has launched a blistering attack on Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al Khelaifi and Ligue 1 chief Vincent Labrune, accusing them of collusion and undermining the integrity of French football.

In a fiery interview with RMC radio, Textor, Lyon owner in labeled Labrune as Al Khelaifi’s “lapdog,” highlighting what he perceives as an unacceptable conflict of interest due to Al Khelaifi’s dual role as PSG president and head of the BeIN Sport media group.

Textor, who also owns Crystal Palace, Botafogo, and Molenbeek, expressed his shock at witnessing Al Khelaifi’s influence firsthand during a meeting of Ligue 1 presidents to discuss TV rights deals.

“I was completely shocked in July to be in the meeting of the presidents [of Ligue 1] to discuss viable alternatives on the TV rights deal and the president of the league [Labrune] who should’ve been running the meeting barely opened his mouth,” Textor said. “And Nasser sat there and ran the meeting and should not have even been in the meeting because he is an interested party with his own TV channels. And every time anybody would raise an alternate idea, Nasser would bark at them and intimidate and bully. And the president of our league just sat there like a lapdog, didn’t say anything.”

PSG and Ligue 1 Respond

PSG responded to Textor’s comments with a statement dismissing his accusations and defending both the club and Ligue 1.

“It’s a shame that you can’t buy class and elegance as it would have enabled M. Textor to avoid ridiculing himself through his rude and dense excessiveness towards our President, our institution and our fans,” the club said. “He better come back to earth, and to France, too, to comprehend this league that we love so much.”

Ligue 1 also issued a statement expressing surprise at Textor’s remarks, particularly given a “very cordial discussion” they had with him earlier in the day.

Textor’s Concerns

Textor has been vocal about his concerns regarding Al Khelaifi’s influence in French football since acquiring Lyon in June 2022.2 He believes that Al Khelaifi’s multiple roles create a conflict of interest that undermines the fairness and competitiveness of Ligue 1.

“So no I wasn’t aware that the league was so incredibly dominated by this man [Al Khelaifi],” Textor said. “I was not aware, I think of the influence from PSG on the league and even on the DNCG [the French FFP regulator].”

Ongoing Feud

This latest outburst highlights the ongoing feud between Textor and Al Khelaifi, who have clashed on several occasions since Textor’s arrival in French football. The two have opposing views on the direction of Ligue 1 and the influence of PSG within the league.

This public spat adds another layer of intrigue to the already complex landscape of French football. It remains to be seen how this conflict will play out and whether it will have any lasting impact on the governance and structure of Ligue 1.


Discover more from

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Comments
Loading...