The Rio club demands loan and transfer amounts made to the French team from 2024 to 2025 in Rio’s courts
The (Sociedade Anônima do Futebol) of Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas filed two legal actions against the French club, in Rio de Janeiro. The actions were presented on Friday (April 3, 2026) and released to the media on Saturday (April 4). The Rio club is collecting debts totaling more than R$745 million, relating to loans and financial transfers during the period in which both teams were part of the Eagle Football multi-club network, under the command of John Textor.
The transferred resources to Lyon through a collaborative management system between the teams of the Eagle Group – a multi-club holding company that controls the Rio club’s SAF. Lyon unilaterally terminated that agreement. The French institution stopped returning the amounts received from the Rio team.
The amount required by the Rio team is divided into 2 distinct processes:
- The 1st has the nature of an extrajudicial execution title. This action demands the return of 21 million euros, equivalent to around R$125 million. The amount refers to an intra-group loan agreement signed in February 2025;
- The 2nd brings together 11 financial transfers sent to the European club. The transfers took place from March 2024 to February 2025. The total of these operations reaches approximately R$570 million.
Botafogo also obtained a loan of R$323 million from Banco XP. The operation was carried out through the issuance of a Bank Credit Certificate. The full value of this loan was transferred to the French club. The European institution had committed to paying the interest on the operation. The interest amounts to around 7.6 million euros or R$45 million. Lyon did not fulfill this obligation.
The club issued an official note on the case. Here’s the entire thing:
“Botafogo takes Olympique Lyonnais to court and demands a debt of more than R$745 million.
“Botafogo filed, last Friday (3), actions against Olympique Lyonnais in court, due to debts exceeding R$ 745 million. The objective is to ensure the return of the amounts owed, fundamental for strengthening the Alvinegro sports project, and safeguarding the Club’s assets.
“As is public knowledge since the incorporation of SAF, in 2022, Botafogo became part of the Eagle Group, a multi-club network led by John Textor. As a competitive strategy, a collaborative model of financial and athlete management was adopted by all clubs in the group. This model contributed to Botafogo’s historic achievements, such as the CONMEBOL Libertadores and the 2024 Brazilian Championship. For Olympique Lyonnais, this collaboration also had a historic impact in the first year under John Textor’s command, taking the club out of the relegation zone and imminent fall, and qualifying it for the Europa League in just one transfer window.
“Eagle Football acquired insolvent Olympique Lyonnais at the end of 2022, with all banks demanding payment of the debt, and under threat of heavy sanctions from the DNCG on the first day of Eagle’s control.
“In this context, Botafogo made successive financial contributions, totaling more than R$745 million, in the form of loans, with the clear expectation of repayment under previously established conditions.
“Subsequently, amid internal conflicts between members of the Eagle Group, the new president of Olympique Lyonnais unilaterally broke the collaboration agreement. Despite having benefited from the resources received, the French club failed to fulfill the obligations assumed, refusing to pay the debt to the Eagle Group clubs of R$745 million to Botafogo, and another €12 million to RWDM Brussels. The default had direct impacts on the operation of the Botafogo, compromising financial planning and affecting the ability to renew and sign athletes. As a result, the Club was even the target of a Transferban application by FIFA at the end of 2025.
“From now on, Botafogo carries out this movement irreversibly: SAF will adopt all applicable legal measures to fully recover the amounts owed by Olympique Lyonnais and ensure the continuity and solidity of its sporting project”.
relationship between clubs
Since March 11, 2022, Botafogo has been controlled by the Eagle Football group, when the sale of 90% of the club’s SAF to Textor was completed. On December 19, 2022, the holding company acquired 77.49% of Olympique Lyonnais, which was facing serious financial problems, with banks demanding payment and at risk of penalties from the DNCG (National Directorate of Management Control). With the 2 clubs under the same controller, Botafogo began to carry out loans and transfers of players involving Lyon, which caused legal disputes over amounts owed.
The Rio club made successive financial contributions such as loans. The club expected reimbursement according to agreed conditions. The collaborative financial and athlete management model was adopted by all clubs in the group.
The breach of the agreement arose from internal disputes between shareholders. Lyon’s new management decided to end the agreement without prior consultation. This happened during the corporate conflicts in the Eagle Group. The decision resulted in the suspension of payments to the Brazilian club.
The lack of payment of the debt compromised the financial planning of SAF alvinegra. Default made it difficult to renew athlete contracts. The situation resulted in a punishment from FIFA. The entity prevented Botafogo from making hires at the end of 2025.
Lyon also has a debt of 12 million euros with RWDM Brussels, a Belgian club. RWDM Brussels is another team in the multi-club network.
The first action, as an extrajudicial execution title, grants Botafogo the right to immediate execution within a period of up to 3 days. The Botafogo board understands that the Rio de Janeiro forum has jurisdiction to analyze the case. You accepted this condition when signing the loan agreement.
