The opening of exclusive negotiations with Reign FC shareholders was announced in late November. OL, the power of women's football in Europe, then explained that it wanted to "Consolidate its place (…) as a major player in women's football in the world". It was done on Thursday, December 19 with the announcement by OL Groupe, the listed holding company that oversees Olympique Lyonnais, of an agreement to buy the American club where the female football superstar Megan Rapinoe plays.
Jean-Michel Aulas’s business will take over the assets of the Tacoma-based club near Seattle for $ 3.5 million (€ 3.1 million). The American club will in future be owned by a new holding company controlled by 89.5% by OL Groupe. The balance of the capital will go to Bill Predmore, the former owner of the club (7.5%), and the former basketball player Tony Parker, recently promoted "Ambassador of the OL brand in the United States" (3%). Predmore will continue to run the club on a day-to-day basis, with the help of an OL-appointed operations manager.
Reign FC has played in the United States' first division, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), since its inception. Two of her players, the 2019 Ballon d'Or Megan Rapinoe and Welsh midfielder Jessica Fishlock, have played in the past with OL. The transaction is expected to be finalized in January, said the OL Groupe press release.
