LYON RELEGATED TO LIGUE 2 OVER FINANCES BUT FRENCH GIANTS WILL APPEAL AGAINST 'INCOMPREHENSIBLE' DECISION

Lyon relegated to Ligue 2 after an audit by French football financial watchdog; seven-time French champions will appeal against decision; Lyon are owned by John Textor, who has sold his stake in Crystal Palace to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson; Lyon finished sixth in Ligue 1 last season

French giants Lyon have confirmed they will appeal against the "incomprehensible" decision to relegate them to Ligue 2 after failing to convince authorities they have resolved their financial difficulties.

The seven-time French champions were hit with a provisional relegation back in November after racking up massive debts, and although they have since sold a number of first-team players, French football watchdog the National Directorate of Management Control (DNCG) upheld the relegation following meetings on Tuesday.

Lyon are owned by John Textor, and the decision to relegate them comes a day after the American businessman sold his stake in Crystal Palace to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson.

Lyon owner John Textor has sold his stake in Crystal Palace

The implications of this on Lyon's Europa League place and any further implications for Crystal Palace's place are currently unknown.

A verdict on whether Lyon meet financial rules from the UEFA Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) is still pending.

UEFA did not comment when contacted by Sky Sports News.

Lyon, who finished sixth in Ligue 1 last season, said in a statement: "Olympique Lyonnais acknowledges the incomprehensible decision handed down by the DNCG this evening and confirms that it will immediately appeal.

"Over the past few months, we have worked closely with the DNCG, meeting all of its demands with equity investments in excess of the amounts requested. Thanks to equity contributions from our shareholders and the sale of Crystal Palace, our cash position has improved significantly, and we have more than sufficient resources for the 2025/26 season.

"With proven funds and sporting success that has earned us a place in European competition two years in a row, we sincerely do not understand how an administrative decision could have relegated such a major French club. We will appeal to demonstrate our ability to provide the necessary financial resources to ensure OL's continued presence in Ligue 1."

Textor told L'Equipe last week he was confident Lyon's financial position had been resolved, having said back in November there was "no chance" the club would be relegated.

After receiving the provisional relegation last year, Lyon sold the likes of Said Benrahma, Anthony Lopes and Maxence Caqueret in January, and this summer they have already sold Rayan Cherki to Manchester City in a £34m deal.

Lyon winger Malick Fofana is a Chelsea target this summer after the Blues made an enquiry for the Belgium international.

Meanwhile, Sky Sports News has reported Lyon have been interested in signing Nottingham Forest pair Matt Turner and Danilo.

'A massive earthquake for French football - and Textor is to blame'

Lyon can appeal against the decision to relegate them to Ligue 2

French football expert Julien Laurens speaking to Sky Sports News:

"Back in November, they'd been provisionally relegated by the DNCG because at the time they were in debt of around £200m. The DNCG said, 'If it stays like this, you're going to go down, regardless of where you finish in the league. So you better sort out your account between now in November and June when you come back to see us.'

"And John Textor was like, 'Yes, don't worry, no problem. We will sell players in January. We will do the same before the end of June. We've got all these plans in place.'

"So they went in quite optimistic today in Paris to meet the DNCG, but this news was a massive earthquake in French football because we all thought and understood that Lyon would be okay, and actually the plans they put forward for sorting out their financial issues were not convincing enough for the DNCG.

"They will appeal now, but the thing is, they won't have much time between now and the appeal to put a plan in place that was different from the one they presented today.

"They sold Rayan Cherki to Manchester City - that was part of the plan. (But) you can't take money off Botafogo to just put it on the Lyon account. They've been trying to put a plan like that together, but that didn't work.

Lyon sold Rayan Cherki to Man City this summer for £34m

"Now, I'm just not sure what else they can do apart from maybe selling Malick Fofana to an English club, maybe another player or two. But again, they will be really running against the clock, and other clubs will also know that they need money very quickly, so they won't be in a powerful position in terms of transfer markets and transfer fees.

"I'm actually quite worried now because we've seen in the past clubs who were relegated, then appealed, then find a way with new investors, money coming in from one way or another, to stay up. But for Lyon, the clock is ticking massively now.

"It's terrible. Since John Textor took over and bought the club from Jean-Michel Aulas, who is this historic figure in Lyon who took the club mid-table in the second division in the mid-eighties to seven league titles in a row and the semi-finals of the Champions League, to this now, to being relegated to the second tier in France.

Could Nemanja Matic be playing in Ligue 2 next season with Lyon?

"John Textor's made this club a mess. There's no other way of putting it. He's been one of the worst owners, spending money everywhere, sacking managers, hiring the wrong managers.

"I just don't know how you get out of this. If you're Lyon, this is a terrible position to be in."

Textor sells Palace stake

Lyon's demotion comes after Textor's shares in Crystal Palace threatened to be an obstacle to the Eagles' participation in the Europa League next season because he owns Lyon, who are set to enter the same competition.

Under UEFA's multi-club ownership rules, it looked as though Palace could miss out.

However, Textor's 43 per cent stake in the London club has now been sold to Johnson in a deal worth more than £190m and values Palace at more than £400m.

The sale is subject to Premier League and WSL approval, but may now free Palace up to play in the Europa League.

The Eagles qualified for the competition thanks to their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.

A decision is expected within days that Palace will take their place in Europa League for first time in their history with the draw in August.

Textor, who through his Eagle Football Holdings group also owns a significant stake in Botafogo, who are the current Brazilian and South American champions, initially invested in Palace in 2021.

- Sky Sports 

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" JETS' QB AARON RODGERS NAME DROPS NEW GIRLFRIEND; FANS ABSOLUTELY IRATE

The New York Jets are hoping the 2024 season finishes with as little injuries as possible.  It has been a nightmare start to their Aaron Rodgers experiment.  Injuries, coaching changes, and all around poor play have destroyed New York’s last two seasons.

However, Aaron Rodgers could have extra motivation going into the 2025 season.

According to a source at Wisconsin Sports Heroics:

Green Bay has made the playoffs both years under QB Jordan Love, while New York has failed to have a winning season. However, Rodgers remains one of the biggest topics in sports, and today he mentioned his new girlfriend.

It does not take long for #8 to find a new girlfriend, no matter how long he was in a previous relationship:

A few years ago, the then-Green Bay Packers quarterback shocked everyone when he announced during his virtual acceptance speech for his third MVP at the NFL Honors that he was engaged.

About a year later, he and fiancée Shailene Woodley were broken up but still seen out together as just friends.

On Monday, during his appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” the current New York Jets quarterback revealed that he has a girlfriend while discussing the Christmas season.

His news certainly caught McAfee off guard based on his reaction.

Aaron Rodgers didn’t reveal too much about her except that her name is Brittani with an “I.”

“I used to enjoy a little outing to go do my Christmas shopping but I actually ordered all of it online this year..

I’ve been waiting on one last package to show up for my girlfriend and it showed up today”

Congratulations @AaronRodgers12 👏 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/hgJIVQbJHF

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 23, 2024

AARON RODGERS: UNSURE ON '25, BUT JETS 'WOULD BE MY FIRST '

Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is undecided on whether he wants to continue his legendary career in 2025. If he does, he wants it to be with the New York Jets.

The four-time MVP, appearing Tuesday on "The Pat McAfee Show," addressed his future amid reports over the weekend that said he wants out of New York and that he could be benched or even released by the end of the season.

"I don't even know if I want to play yet, but New York would be my first option," Rodgers said during his weekly appearance, commenting on next season.

Rodgers, who turns 41 next Monday, said he will base his decision on how his body feels and whether the Jets want him back.

"You want to be in a spot where you feel like you can win and you're valued," said Rodgers, mired in one of the worst statistical seasons of his career.

The choice might not be his.

The Jets (3-8), who fired coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas, will have a new regime in 2025. The new leaders may opt to cut ties with Rodgers, who is signed for 2025 but has no guaranteed money remaining in his contract. They could turn the position over to current backup Tyrod Taylor and a highly drafted rookie.

Rodgers used his spot on the show to deny various reports, including a report by The Athletic that he wants to play in 2025, just not for the Jets.

"That's 100% false," he said, adding that he's "not jumping off the ship."

But he created waves by expressing uncertainty about his desire to keep playing. When asked two weeks ago if he wants to play in 2025, Rodgers said, "Yeah, I think so" -- hardly a convincing yes. A few days later, the Jets' disappointing season unraveled even further with a crushing last-minute loss to the Indianapolis Colts and the firing of Douglas.

Rodgers mulled retirement after the 2022 season, ultimately deciding during his infamous darkness retreat that he wanted to continue. The Green Bay Packers traded him to the Jets in April 2023. His goal, he said, was to give "two good seasons" to the Jets. His 2023 season lasted only four snaps before he ruptured his left Achilles, and he joked that this season hasn't been that good, either.

"When you're 40, going on 41, you're obviously at the end of your career," he said. "... Obviously, if it's New York, they have to want me to be here. And then the new GM, new staff all have to want me to be with the Jets. And then body-wise, I have to see how I'm feeling and if I want to sign up to go back to the grind and all that, but it feels good. I'm healthy now.

"It's not as much fun when you're dealing with rehab all the time. So, if I can stay healthy the rest of the year and play the way I want to play, and everybody feels good about bringing me back, then there's a decision there. And if not, then there's all the other options. I think, at this point, I'm open to everything and attached to nothing. So, it's a good place to be."

Rodgers battled hamstring, knee and ankle injuries earlier in the season, no doubt contributing to his pedestrian numbers -- 17 touchdown passes, seven interceptions. There were reports that he could be benched or placed on injured reserve or even released by the end of the season.

On Monday, interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said there has been no internal discussion about shutting down the future Hall of Famer. He said Rodgers will "absolutely" start Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks and that "a healthy Aaron Rodgers is an Aaron Rodgers we all love."

Rodgers made it clear that he wants to keep playing even though the Jets have virtually no shot at the playoffs.

"I will not willingly go on IR without an injury," he said.

"... If I can stay healthy the rest of the year and play the way I want to play, and everybody feels good about bringing me back, then there's a decision there. And if not, then there's all the other options. I think, at this point, I'm open to everything and attached to nothing. So, it's a good place to be."

Aaron Rodgers

He confirmed that he hasn't had any medical imaging tests for his injuries, insisting he didn't need them because he trusted his own gut feeling and the evaluations of the team's medical staff.

The Rodgers experiment has been a major disappointment for the Jets, who are 10-18 since the trade (including the 16 games he missed). He acknowledged the two seasons have been "frustrating and difficult," but not a total loss.

"These have been two of the most important years of my life and two of the best years of my life," he said.

Rodgers said he felt bad that Douglas was fired last week. It happened after a bye-week practice. Rodgers said he noticed owner Woody Johnson arriving via helicopter during practice, as he often does. This time, he had a funny feeling.

"I just knew something might be going down here, and I was like, 'Damn, I hope it's not Joe,'" said Rodgers, who learned during a flight to California that Douglas had been fired.

- Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer

STEELERS DESTROY JETS | NFL 🔥

 

RUSSELL WILSON VICTORIOUS IN DEBUT WITH PITTSBURGH STEELERS

PITTSBURGH -- As the offense trudged off the field following its third consecutive three-and-out early in the second quarter Monday night, loud boos rained down from a listless Acrisure Stadium crowd. And if there was any doubt about the primary target of the vocal frustration, the chants for Justin Fields made it abundantly clear: Russell Wilson's subpar play and inaccuracy was at the heart of the crowd's discontent.

Two hours and 34 unanswered points later, though, the crowd sang along to Biz Markie and Mac Miller as Wilson quarterbacked the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 37-15 win against the New York Jets in prime time, setting a franchise record for passing yards and points scored in a debut along the way.

Wilson finished his injury-delayed regular-season debut with 264 passing yards and three total touchdowns. And after completing just 2 of 6 attempts for 19 yards in the first quarter -- including a 15-yard completion to Darnell Washington on his first attempt -- Wilson completed 14 of 23 attempts for 245 yards in the final three quarters, increasing his completion percentage from 33% in the first frame to 60% in the final three.

"I thought he was excellent," coach Mike Tomlin said. "I thought he got better as the game went on. But I'm not surprised by that. It has been a while since he's played some ball, but I thought he settled in, knocked the rust off and distributed the ball around and played well."

Wilson, of course, heard the boos early in the game, but he said afterward that his steady mentality helped him rebound from a rocky start that saw the Steelers go 0-of-3 on third down in the first quarter as underthrown passes bounced to the turf and others were haphazardly thrown away as the Jets' pass rush closed in.

"I really believe in being neutral, not being too high, not being too low," Wilson said, adding that he followed the advice of his late mental conditioning coach, Trevor Moawad: "Stay the course."

Wilson likened his performance to a baseball player starting 0-for-2 at the plate but said he "felt like I was going to get hot."

"And sure enough, we did," Wilson said. "... You catch the wave, and once you find it, you don't let go. And I think the biggest thing is just knowing who you are, knowing the belief you have in yourself and knowing that also, too, that was my first time back, and I was like, 'OK, I'm starting to feel it again. Here we go.'"

That moment he felt it again, Wilson said, came as he connected with wide receiver George Pickens for the pair's first touchdowns of the season with 27 seconds until halftime.

"Throwing that first touchdown on George was the moment I was like, 'All right, there's going to be a lot more of these,'" Wilson said. "I believe just sometimes it takes that first home run, that first double off the wall, whatever it may be. Obviously, it's October, so I'm talking baseball, but I just think that when you put all the hard work in, and guys are doing the work and at some point it's going to turn in your favor, and it did tonight. We did a great job, and I'm excited by our football team."

Wilson was right. There were more scores to come. He found the end zone two more times, once on a 1-yard sneak and again on a 4-yard throw to wide receiver Van Jefferson for the veteran wide receiver's first score of the season.

"I thought Arthur Smith did a great job letting me cut it loose and guys getting open and guys moving around just making tremendous plays," Wilson said. "I thought he called a great game. He helped me get into a groove. ... He said it may take a second. I never believed that, but it did and then we caught a groove, we believed in it."

Wilson completed 5 of 6 attempts on passes of at least 10 air yards, averaging 24.8 yards per attempt on such throws. Wilson was also 3-of-4 for 92 yards and a touchdown when targeting Pickens on deep throws. After the game, Pickens, who finished with 111 yards on five catches, explained what made their skill sets mesh: "Me locating the ball downfield and Russ' pre-read, seeing what coverage it is before he says hike."

Prior to the game, Tomlin took ownership of the decision to start Wilson over Fields, who went 4-2 in six starts while Wilson worked back from a training camp calf injury. After the win, former NFL wide receiver and Pittsburgh native Brandon Marshall jumped into Tomlin's news conference and asked the head coach if the decision to start Wilson was his "boldest."

"That's why I'm well compensated," Tomlin said.

Wilson downplayed the idea of internal strife in the organization around the quarterback decision.

"We are in a tremendous situation where we are," Wilson said. "I think there's a lot of outside noise that makes it seem like it's a negative thing and this rivalry internal, and it's not, man. We just want to win. That's

 what we're focused on.

"I got to give Justin Fields credit, man, just all the things that he was able to do, how great he's been playing, man, he inspires me every day. ... He's a tremendous quarterback, he's a franchise quarterback, he's a leader. He's got all the intangibles and whatever I can give to him and show him and just be around him, that's part of my job."

"I think that we're just having fun winning. We're having fun playing ball," he continued. "Coach Tomlin believes in all of us, and he does a tremendous job. And this guy, he's a tremendous football coach, and we trust him, and we know who he is and he's very transparent in everything else with us, too.

"We just love winning. We just love being a part of the process."

- Brooke Pryor, ESPN Staff Writer

THE LAST TIME EACH TEAM WON A SUPER BOWL

 

AARON RODGERS BLASTS PHANTOM REPORTS HE FIRED ROBERT SALEH:

Aaron Rodgers resents the accusations that he orchestrated the New York Jets decision to fire Robert Saleh, but where is he even finding those accusations?

Jets owner Woody Johnson made the surprising decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh Tuesday morning. And while Johnson’s ultimate decision of moving on from Saleh and his 20-36 coaching record has received support, the timing was a surprise considering it occurred just five weeks into the season with the Jets only one game out of first place.

Still, it has been widely reported as being Johnson’s decision, and one that received no input from Rodgers. Despite the decision already being attributed to Johnson, Rodgers felt the need to dispel any reports that he prompted Saleh’s firing during his Wednesday afternoon appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.

“As far as any of the ridiculous allegations out there, I’m not gonna spend more than one sentence in response to it,” Rodgers told McAfee. “And that is that I resent any of those allegations because they’re patently false. It’s interesting, the amount of power that people think that I have, which I don’t. But I love Robert.”

McAfee responded by predicting the media will deceitfully spin what Rodgers said into a false narrative.

“They’ll take something you said there and chop it up and then say…that’s the world we’re in. Journalistic standards,” McAfee said at the end of the above 43-second clip that his show chopped up and shared on social media.

The question to Rodgers, however, is where are those “ridiculous allegations” coming from? To be fair, there have been some pretty wild rumors spreading about the reason Saleh was fired, but almost none of them begin with Rodgers. It might be a narrative found among fans on social media, but the media is not reporting this was Rodgers’ decision.

There is reason to think Rodgers may have wanted to move on from Saleh. The fact that Saleh called his trip to Egypt an “unexcused absence,” their awkward non-hug, and the “cadence” issue that was a head coach-created narrative, not a media-driven one. The media could have claimed Rodgers wanted Saleh fired and pointed to those examples, but they’re not. Rodgers might even deserve blame for Saleh’s firing, but only because his poor play on the field is the lead reason the Jets are stuck at 2-3 on the season.

Does it seem strange that Johnson would have spoken to Rodgers hours before firing Saleh without tipping his star quarterback off on the decision he was mulling? Sure. But believing Johnson may have privately warned Rodgers of his imminent decision is very different from reporting the quarterback fired his own head coach. Taking a broad scan of the reporting in the wake of Saleh’s firing, it would be a ridiculous allegation to claim the media is pinning this firing on Rodgers. Jets and NFL reporters should resent any of those allegations.

- Brandon Contes

JETS' ZACH WILSON 'UNBELIEVABLE ' IN WINNING RETURN AS STARTER

AP Photo

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Benched three times in his career and dismissed by fans and media as a first-round bust, New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson delivered the kind of performance Sunday that was envisioned for him as the No. 2 pick in 2021.

"Zach was unbelievable," coach Robert Saleh said after the Jets snapped a five-game losing streak with a 30-6 rout of the Houston Texans at a rainswept MetLife Stadium.

Back in the lineup after a two-game benching, Wilson passed for 301 yards and two touchdowns, posting career bests for passer rating (117.9) and completion percentage (75%). It was his third 300-yard passing day in 32 starts, but his first in a victory. Saleh called it the best game of Wilson's career, and it left teammates buzzing about his resilience.

They described an unburdened Wilson, who, frustrated by the way he has been treated by the organization, vowed to teammates that he'd play with a chip on his shoulder and for the team. That resonated in the locker room.

"He told me, 'I'm playing for y'all. I've got nothing to lose,'" cornerback D.J. Reed said. "He said, 'What's the worst that can happen, I get benched again?' That's what he said and that's the way he played. It showed."

NICK SIRIANNI ON 4 TURNOVERS AND LOSS TO JETS

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES VS. NEW YORK JETS | NFL HIGHLIGHTS

TAYLOR SWIFT, SOPHIE TURNER, RYAN REYNOLDS ATTEND CHIEFS-JETS

Getty

Superstar Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce's most famous fan, is at MetLife stadium for the Kansas City Chiefs' prime-time matchup against the New York Jets.

Swift made an appearance for the second consecutive game after weeks of a rumored romance between the two.

Last week, the 12-time Grammy Award-winning musician was spotted at Arrowhead Stadium next to Kelce's mother, Donna, before riding off into the sunset with Kelce after the Chiefs' 41-10 win over the Chicago Bears.

AARON RODGERS FIRST SIT DOWN INTERVIEW AS A NY JETS

AARON RODGERS INTRODUCTORY PRESS CONFERENCE | NY JETS

NEW YORK JETS ELIMINATED FROM PLAYOFF CONTENTION

NY JETS: FORMER RUNNING BACK JOE MCKNIGHT SHOT DEAD IN NEW ORLEANS

Another senseless crime that has no excuse whatsoever in America has happened in Terrytown, New Orleans, and has claimed a life of former running back of the New York Jets Joe McKnight...

NFL: MATT FORTE SCORES 3 AS JETS REVENGE BILLS

Matt Forte was the man to count on as he managed 3 touchdowns for the New York Jets to win 37-31 over Buffalo Bills...Forte had a 3 yard run on the 3rd quarter with 2:12 on the clock to give the Jets a 27-24 lead...He finished with 100 yards rushing and became the 13th in New York to score 3 rushing touchdowns in a game...Buffalo Bills had their moments and one of them was the longest touchdown pass in history at home and Tyrod Taylor became the 5th to throw two 70 yards plus touchdown passes in a single game.