Eagle Football Group

History

The holding company was created on 1 February 1999, and that same month Pathé group acquired a 34% minority stake for €15.2 million. Lyon owner Jean-Michel Aulas held the remaining 66% and served as chief executive officer. On 9 February 2007, OL Groupe went public on the Paris Stock Exchange, the first French football club to do so, selling 28% of its stock at €24 per share and raising €89 million for the OL Land project, which included a stadium initially called Stade des Lumières. After appeals and delays, the building permit was signed on 3 February 2012, with a total cost of €405 million; financing was finalized in July 2013. The stadium opened on 9 January 2016, five and a half years late, and was named Parc Olympique Lyonnais. In August 2016, Chinese investment fund IDG Capital obtained a 20% stake in OL Groupe for €100 million, finalized in February 2017. OL Groupe then formed Beijing OL FC, holding a 45% share, to create partnerships and football schools in China. On 22 June 2019, OL Groupe bought a 25% stake in ASVEL Basket's men's team for €3.4 million and a 10% stake in its women's team for €300,000, and announced plans for a €100 million performance hall near Groupama Stadium. Tony Parker, president and majority shareholder of ASVEL Basket, became an OL brand ambassador in the United States. At the end of December 2020, OL Groupe increased its men's team stake by 6.3%, reaching 31.67%; as of 14 February 2023, the stake was 33%, and Parker was reportedly considering selling his stake.