Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has issued a stern warning to Lyon owner John Textor, threatening legal action if he does not stop making what they consider defamatory and damaging remarks about the club.
PSG’s response comes after Textor’s recent interview with Brazilian publication Globo. In the interview, Textor, who holds major stakes in Lyon and Crystal Palace, claimed he was up against "a country, not an owner" and criticized PSG for their "unrestricted spending."
Since 2011, PSG has been mainly owned by Qatar Sports Investments, tied to Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund. In a letter signed by PSG’s general secretary, Victoriano Melero, the club labeled Textor’s comments as "false, incendiary, undignified, and nonsensical."
PSG’s letter addressed several of Textor’s accusations, calling them "false, hypocritical, and disrespectful" to both PSG and French football. They pointed out that Lyon has faced its own financial issues under Textor’s management, including scrutiny from UEFA and the French financial watchdog, DNCG, which monitored Lyon’s transfers and wage bill last year. The restrictions were lifted in December after Lyon’s new budget was approved.
The letter also mentioned Textor’s earlier criticism of Premier League spending rules, and highlighted that a significant portion of PSG’s ownership is American, not Qatari.
They clarified that less than 20% of PSG’s commercial revenue comes from Qatari companies, and that they have signed 50 new partners in the last six years, with only one being Qatari.
PSG concluded the letter by stating that if Textor continues his "defamatory and damaging statements," they will consider further legal action in France, in addition to his existing lawsuits in Brazil.
Textor is also involved in a legal case in Brazil, related to his accusations of corruption and match-fixing, which were dismissed by Brazilian football authorities but reiterated by him in his Globo interview.
