Jean-Michel Aulas at the Parc des Princes, February 9, 2020. - FRANCK FIFE / AFP

Lyon hopes for a decision "before the end of May" concerning the two appeals brought before the administrative court on the premature cessation of the championship, said Tuesday its president Jean-Michel Aulas, saying he feared harmful consequences for the results of OL Groupe and the transfer window in Ligue 1.

The emblematic leader, who disputes the choice of the Professional Football League (LFP) to stop the season in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, said during the presentation of the group's financial results that he hoped for a judicial decision "before the end of May, maybe before. ” These two appeals relate on the one hand to the decision to end the season early and on the other hand to the terms of stopping the championship and the method of calculating the classification after the 28th day, the last disputed.

Economic danger

As it stands, OL is ranked 7th in the championship and may not participate in a European cup next season for the first since 1997. In addition to the shortfall linked to the end of the games, Lyon also fears a loss of income on the sale of its players, who will not be able to develop in the coming weeks while other European championships have chosen the scenario of a recovery.

"We can fear that the traditional sales on June 30 will not happen," lamented Jean-Michel Aulas. We will deprive ourselves of what was the main resource of French football - 800 million euros last year - that are transfer rights. "

Brilliant financial results despite the impact of the health crisis ⤵️ https://t.co/Fzldush0OZ

- Olympique Lyonnais (@OL) May 12, 2020

Over the first nine months of its fiscal year ending at the end of June, OL Groupe, the listed holding company that heads the club, generated turnover of 265.7 million euros, up 19%, according to a press release. . The proceeds from transfers, up 133% to 90.6 million euros, thus generated a third of the group's total activity.

“Hyper-brilliant” figures, according to JMA, before the health crisis came to call everything into question. "The stoppage of competitions, abnormal and unreasonable, will pose enormous problems even if it is not seen in terms of turnover as of March 31," he feared.

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