Despite the drop in TV revenue from Ligue 1, the president of Lille OSC Olivier Létang was able to announce last week that after four years of work, the club was completely debt-free.
Lille had been left with debts of around €400 million from the previous owner Gérard Lopez (who currently owns FC Girondins de Bordeaux, a team that were recently relegated from the second tier of French football to the fourth due to financial issues).
Létang’s stewardship has created a club that spends moderately and sells well, while its recent European adventures (last season’s Europa Conference League run to the quarter-finals and this season’s foray into the Champions League) have helped boost finances.
Lille represent an attractive option in the French market
All of this has created an attractive club, which the L’Équipe writes has seen buyout interest. The French outlet reports that three parties have sent proposals to Lille to purchase the club, including an English company. However, all three have fallen short of the current valuation of the club.
