Eagle Football Group / Textor in Administration

[Linford]

As I understand it, plot thickens with the Textor/Eagle Football Group saga and very much for the worse for Lyon who have defaulted on their obligations and despite being in Ligue 1 qualifying spot for Champions League are likely to be kicked out of Europe next season with all their squad up for sale. They may even face not being able to carry on playing/trading at all !

The ghost of Textor. Botafogo given $25m debt repayment deadline, Lyon battle to stay alive - Inside World Football

May 13 – Brazilian club Botafogo must pay $25 million to Atlanta United within 90 days to avoid a six-point deduction in the Brasileirão. On Monday, the Rio club were handed another transfer ban for the outstanding debt over Thiago Almada’s transfer to the MLS franchise. Botafogo paid $10...

www.insideworldfootball.com

How did this chancer get his hands on reins of our club? And boy am i glad he rode off on his horse into the sunset to play cowboy with someone else's going concern.

In terms of the “how”, there’s really not much stopping people doing this for the most part.

“Fair and proper” checks are a farce.

 

[chris123]

In terms of the “how”, there’s really not much stopping people doing this for the most part.

“Fair and proper” checks are a farce.

It was the French football governance body the DNCG that was tasked with reviewing Lyons finances last year. That review was what led to UEFA chucking Lyon out, Lyon were reinstated after an appeal. So I would be interested to know what the French are doing too

 

[Joseph Paxton]

I read into this that the collapse of Textor's multi-club structure would have seriously affected us too - was there a possibilty we would have been sanctioned ? Praise be that Woody Johnson has come in and we get further along the road to being a 'well-run club'.

Further do we have any retrospective legal claim against Lyon/Uefa for allowing a club in a state of breach of sanctions to replace us in the Europa? Was there misrepresentation at the Tribunal?

Article i previously linked contains the following intriguing paragraph

The administrators have also discovered a few ‘bodies in the closet’ in the form of guarantees made. Under Textor, Lyon and Eagle made three guarantees to support obligations to other clubs in Textor’s portfolio. Those guarantees were not disclosed in published financial statements. The exposure is about €80 million.

"a few ‘bodies in the closet’" All sounds very shonky to me

 

[samprior]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-03/ares-owed-547-million-after-collapse-of-textor-s-eagle-football

Thank goodness for the whole MCO debacle last year which forced Textor out of the club...we ironically also have Marinakis partly to thank for sparking the UEFA MCO intrigue... You'd think that he also will have some financial burden from this situation as there were so many dodgy deals tied up between Textor and Marinakis.

I still think we were harshly treated and UEFA are an untrustworthy bunch... But a year later, after a European trophy and Textor long gone I'm certainly a lot less seething than I was about it all back in August.

Feels like a huge sliding doors moment for the club!

 

[chris123]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-03/ares-owed-547-million-after-collapse-of-textor-s-eagle-football

Thank goodness for the whole MCO debacle last year which forced Textor out of the club...we ironically also have Marinakis partly to thank for sparking the UEFA MCO intrigue... You'd think that he also will have some financial burden from this situation as there were so many dodgy deals tied up between Textor and Marinakis.

I still think we were harshly treated and UEFA are an untrustworthy bunch... But a year later, after a European trophy and Textor long gone I'm certainly a lot less seething than I was about it all back in August.

Feels like a huge sliding doors moment for the club!

There's a statement from Cork Gully on the companies house website yesterday, and included is a comment that Textor has not cooperated with them as administrators

 

[Forest Hillbilly]

We all know why Lyon were reinstated on appeal.
It doesn't take much analysis of process. . .💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰💰

However , Palace are now in a much better position, with Woody on the Board, and the trophy cabinet groaning under the weight of a European trophy

Palace dodged a bullet with Textor gone

 

[samprior]

There's a statement from Cork Gully on the companies house website yesterday, and included is a comment that Textor has not cooperated with them as administrators

Yes I've just seen that. Confirmed in this article too...

Everton & other writings by Paul Quinn, The Analysis Series, Talking the Blues & the esk PodcastsThe Analysis Series: Eagle Football Holdings Bidco Limited Administration: Briefing note from Administrators, Cork Gully

The following statement was released on Companies House today by Eagle Football Holdings Bidco’s administrators Cork Gully LLP Proposals: Eagle Football Holdings Bidco Overview Eagle Football…

theesk.org

It's going to be very messy! Also confirmed here is that we're were out last summer before the administration process. Thank goodness this cowboy was run out of town!

 

[chris123]

Yes I've just seen that. Confirmed in this article too...

Everton & other writings by Paul Quinn, The Analysis Series, Talking the Blues & the esk PodcastsThe Analysis Series: Eagle Football Holdings Bidco Limited Administration: Briefing note from Administrators, Cork Gully

The following statement was released on Companies House today by Eagle Football Holdings Bidco’s administrators Cork Gully LLP Proposals: Eagle Football Holdings Bidco Overview Eagle Football…

theesk.org

It's going to be very messy! Also confirmed here is that we're were out last summer before the administration process. Thank goodness this cowboy was run out of town!

Yes and also they anticipate dissolving the company rather than liquidate on the basis of insufficient realisations to justify further work

 

[Badger11]

Yes I've just seen that. Confirmed in this article too...

Everton & other writings by Paul Quinn, The Analysis Series, Talking the Blues & the esk PodcastsThe Analysis Series: Eagle Football Holdings Bidco Limited Administration: Briefing note from Administrators, Cork Gully

The following statement was released on Companies House today by Eagle Football Holdings Bidco’s administrators Cork Gully LLP Proposals: Eagle Football Holdings Bidco Overview Eagle Football…

theesk.org

It's going to be very messy! Also confirmed here is that we're were out last summer before the administration process. Thank goodness this cowboy was run out of town!

I'm shocked said no one in particular. 😀

 

[Norbury Old Git]

No mention is made of the £120m Textor received from Johnson for his shares. I suspect it’s sitting in an offshore bank account somewhere. Unfortunately it is a bit early for a fire sale of OL players but Pierre Sage will know them and there may be opportunities in the future.

 

[Badger11]

It's worth mentioned again that some on here were supporting Textor (early days) when he complained that Parish wouldn't spend money on players.

Some of us pointed out that what Textor really meant was going into debt using the clubs money (just like Goldberg and Jordan), he wasn't saying he wanted to spend his money but Parish wouldn't let him.

I believe I called him a pump and dump merchant and sadly (for the other investors) I was right.

 

[chris123]

No mention is made of the £120m Textor received from Johnson for his shares. I suspect it’s sitting in an offshore bank account somewhere. Unfortunately it is a bit early for a fire sale of OL players but Pierre Sage will know them and there may be opportunities in the future.

The administration is of the holding company I think and does not include the football clubs, except there was the assurances given last year to support the appeal by Lyon

 

[mileend]

No mention is made of the £120m Textor received from Johnson for his shares. I suspect it’s sitting in an offshore bank account somewhere. Unfortunately it is a bit early for a fire sale of OL players but Pierre Sage will know them and there may be opportunities in the future.

It was reported that money went straight to Ares at the time - but they are still owed hundreds of millions

 

[MrRobbo]

It's worth mentioned again that some on here were supporting Textor (early days) when he complained that Parish wouldn't spend money on players.

Some of us pointed out that what Textor really meant was going into debt using the clubs money (just like Goldberg and Jordan), he wasn't saying he wanted to spend his money but Parish wouldn't let him.

I believe I called him a pump and dump merchant and sadly (for the other investors) I was right.

Certainly worth mentioning. And remembering that we can trust Parish not to do anything stupid.

 

[mileend]

Certainly worth mentioning. And remembering that we can trust Parish not to do anything stupid.

He doesn't get every decision right, that's impossible, but he doesn't do anything stupid

And getting Woody Johnson to buy out Textor last summer was one of the best decisions in his now 16 years history at Palace. Otherwise I presume Ares might be trying to recoup their losses by forcing the sale of 40% of Crystal Palace to who knows who?

Not much sympathy for Ares as they made the decision to back Textor with colossal sums in the 'alternative assets' market - they must have made a serious miscalculation in the likely returns from French football.

 

[ASCPFC]

He doesn't get every decision right, that's impossible, but he doesn't do anything stupid

And getting Woody Johnson to buy out Textor last summer was one of the best decisions in his now 16 years history at Palace. Otherwise I presume Ares might be trying to recoup their losses by forcing the sale of 40% of Crystal Palace to who knows who?

Not much sympathy for Ares as they made the decision to back Textor with colossal sums in the 'alternative assets' market - they must have made a serious miscalculation in the likely returns from French football.

It wasn't Parish's decision to make. Textor courted Woody. What Parish did do was make it hard for Textor to do what he wanted so he kind of forced him out. Textor was never going to get control so he left. He made a profit.

 

[eaglesdare]

We had some fans on Textors side here....

 

[subbuteo]

Whilst I am obviously happy he’s got nothing to do with our club anymore it is ironic that he proposed OG as our manager and promoted our possible next manager from academy to first team role at Lyon. He might have missed his vocation!

 

[Badger11]

I pinched this from the other site because I loved the idea of Parish playing 6D chess.

""In the CAS hearing, after making full disclosure to the court it was found that Parish's CEO contract said he must get each and every major decision signed off by all the club directors.

This meant Textor had decisive influence.

What's not clear, is how Maranakis knew that putting in a complaint about us would be successful. It was either;

a) Maranakis trying his luck.
b) Maranakis had been tipped off about the content of Parish's contract....

If it is b), then it's pretty obvious where the tip off would have come from**.""

""**There's a thought. Parish leaked it, places the blame between Textor and Marinakis, Textor forced into selling his shares on the cheap. Parish gets rid of a rival. Palace become favourites for a European competition.""

LOL

Not my comments but I love the idea of Parish outsmarting Textor and the Fat boy. If only it was true.

 

[Jim_Cannon]

There's a statement from Cork Gully on the companies house website yesterday, and included is a comment that Textor has not cooperated with them as administrators

The Man is toxic