Lyon sued FIFA to collect a debt from Botafogo referring to Jeffinho’s transfer, in 2024, for 5.3 million euros, around R$34 million at the price at the time.
The information was published by the French newspaper ‘L’Equipe’, this Thursday (2). The FIFA charge is another chapter in the dispute involving the clubs, John Textor and Eagle Holding.
After standing out at Glorioso in 2022, Jeffinho was sold to Lyon for 10 million euros (R$55 million at the time). Without a sequence in France, the striker returned on loan to the Rio team at the beginning of 2024.
At the end of that season, Botafogo repurchased Jeffinho for 5.3 million euros, as reported by Lyon. At the time, the clubs were managed by John Textor on a “single cash” model.
Currently, Jeffinho is on loan from Botafogo to Liaoning Tieren, in China.
The various financial operations between the clubs are among the main points of the dispute between Eagle’s creditors and the current management of Lyon, the club from which the American businessman was removed.
In a financial and institutional crisis, SAF do Botafogo is experiencing uncertainty due to the legal dispute between John Textor and creditors of Eagle Holding Football. The American businessman had his powers suspended, but continues thanks to an injunction.
Eagle Bidco is the British subsidiary of Eagle Holding Football, a multi-club network founded by John Textor, of which Botafogo and Lyon are part. Ares was an investor in the purchase of the French club and is fighting in court for control of the group’s shares in the United Kingdom.
On March 24, the Rio de Janeiro Court dismissed the process that had been running since last year regarding the dispute between Eagle and John Textor over control of SAF in Botafogo. The decision is that the case be resolved in the Mediation and Arbitration Chamber of Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV).
Lyon-FRA was relegated to the second division due to financial irregularities, and the situation was only reversed with Textor’s departure from the club, in June 2025.
Since then, Botafogo and Lyon have exchanged accusations and collected debts and reimbursement for financial operations and transfers of athletes carried out between the teams. SAF do Glorioso took a stance on the issue recently, reinforcing that it will collect in court the amounts it considers owed.
