Gérard Lopez sold the Lille club (L1) to the company Callisto, a subsidiary of the investment fund Merlyn Partners, a source close to the file told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Friday, December 18, confirming information from the daily The team.
Less than four years after buying the club from Michel Seydoux, the Spanish-Luxembourgish businessman had to sell the northern club, which is heavily in debt, and it is Olivier Létang, former leader of Paris-Saint-Germain and Rennes , who becomes its new president.
Gérard Lopez, who had borrowed more than 225 million euros from Elliott Management during his first months in office, was pushed out by the American investment fund, to which he had repaid less than half of this sum .
An inevitable sale
This sale, which seemed inevitable for a few days, paradoxically comes at a time when the LOSC has never seemed so solid and sure of its strength: qualified for the 16e in the final of the Europa League and first in the championship, the Mastiffs will try Sunday to keep their leader’s chair during the shock against PSG, their runner-up.
Wednesday, a few hours after the announcement of the imminent transfer of the club, the Lille players had not trembled to win in Dijon (0-2), and thus consolidate their first place.
