‘We never thought Lyon would be relegated’ – Reims president reacts to appeal decision | OneFootball

A cloud of uncertainty hung over French football following the decision by the DNCG (French football’s financial watchdog) to relegate Olympique Lyonnais to Ligue 2 due to financial mismanagement.

If the decision were to be upheld pending Lyon’s appeal, there would have been a domino effect across France and England, with RC Lens, RC Strasbourg Alsace, Stade de Reims, and Crystal Palace all directly benefitting.

However, permutations were put to bed yesterday when it was officially announced that Lyon had successfully overturned the decision and would be allowed to compete in Ligue 1, and by extension, the UEFA Europa League.

For Reims, who were hoping to take Lyon’s place in Ligue 1 if Les Gones were relegated, the decision regarding the appeal was not unexpected and one that they had been preparing for. As club president, Jean-Pierre Caillot explained to France Info, “As I’ve always said, we didn’t really live in uncertainty because we never thought Lyon would be relegated.”

He continues, “There was too much at stake for Lyon’s shareholders not to cover up [John] Textor’s mistakes, which I’ve been denouncing for two years. We’ve turned the page on last season… we’ve been preparing our squad for Ligue 2. That’s life.”

GFFN | Nick Hartland