John Textor sues Olympique Lyonnais owner Michele Kang for $400 million

American businessman John Textor, former owner of the French club Olympique Lyonnais and former controller of Botafogo’s SAF, filed a lawsuit in a Florida federal court demanding more than $400 million in damages from the club’s current owner, South‑Korean billionaire Michele Kang. Textor alleges that Kang and investors linked to the Eagle Football Group conspired to dispossess him of Lyon, engaged in corruption, abuse of corporate assets and falsified accounts, and harmed the multi‑club business model that also affected Botafogo.

Kang’s representatives have dismissed the claims as baseless, noting their own legal actions against Textor for alleged misuse of corporate assets. The dispute follows a separate controversy in Brazil, where Textor claimed a typographical error in Danilo’s contract had been corrected, raising the release clause from €20 million to €200 million, and accused journalists of spreading false narratives.

Both parties are prepared for a prolonged legal battle that could involve sizable financial claims and affect the governance of clubs linked through Textor’s investment vehicles.