(BFM Bourse) – The Rhone football club published Friday evening a net loss divided by more than two, to 55 million euros, over the whole of the 2021-2022 financial year ended last June. Attention is nevertheless turning to the takeover of the French club by American billionaire John Textor, which must be finalized by the end of this week.
If Olympique Lyonnais suffered a defeat against Stade Rennes this weekend for Laurent Blanc’s first time as coach, the Rhone club was at least able to post markedly improved annual accounts.
Published late Friday evening, the results for the entire 2021-2022 financial year ended last June for OL Groupe – the holding company which oversees Olympique Lyonnais – benefited from the jump in ticketing revenue, due to the return to fan stadiums. Ticket sales were thus multiplied by 17, reaching 36.3 million euros against barely 2 million euros in the 2020-2021 financial year, marked by the pandemic and health restrictions.
All products excluding “trading” of players, that is to say transfers, have increased by 36% to 160.5 million euros. For their part, income from the sale of player contracts increased by 55% to 92.1 million euros. OL notably sold Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes to English club Newcastle for 32 million euros during the January transfer window, one of the largest transfers in the history of the Ligue 1 resident.
A recovery confirmed in the first quarter
Lower in the income statement, OL Group returned to a gross operating surplus of 16 million euros, compared with a gross operating loss of 34 million euros for the 2020-2021 financial year.
The net loss of the football club chaired and managed by Jean-Michel Aulas has been halved, but remains at a high level of 55 million euros.
Regarding its outlook, Olympique Lyonnais explains that the first quarter of the 2022-2023 financial year “confirms the good recovery of activities observed during the previous financial year and should show new growth” compared to the same period of 2021-2022. .
This publication does not arouse much enthusiasm on the part of investors. The OL Groupe share thus fell 2.8% to 2.74 euros around 11:20 a.m., while the CAC 40 gained 0.4%.
Towards an exit from the stock market
The market is especially awaiting the finalization of the takeover of the club by the American billionaire John Textor, via his company Eagle Football Holdings LLC. The deadline for this operation was postponed last month from September 30 to October 21, this Friday. This period was to be used to “finalize the legal documentation and the last steps prior to the completion of the operation”, explained the football club at the time.
The transaction should enable John Textor to acquire all of the shares and half of the Osranes (subordinated bonds redeemable in new or existing shares) of OL Group held by Holnest, the company controlled by Jean-Michel Aulas, as well as all shares and Osranes of the two other reference shareholders, the Pathé group and the Chinese investment fund IDG Capitals. These three shareholders currently hold approximately two-thirds of the capital of the football club.
This acquisition will be made at a price of 3 euros per share, valuing OL Groupe at just under 530 million euros. A simplified takeover bid at the same price will then be filed by the American billionaire to acquire the remaining shares and Osranes with the aim of delisting the football club which was listed on the Paris Stock Exchange in 2007…at 24 euros per title.
Julien Marion – ©2022 BFM Bourse
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