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John Textor isn’t going down without a legal fight against Michele Kang.
On Monday, Textor sued Kang in Florida state court for at least $400 million, saying damages are “believed to be in well excess” of that amount when taking into consideration interest, attorneys’ fees, and other costs.
The complaint comes a little less than one month after Kang, who owns the Washington Spirit, reached an agreement to buy Olympique Lyonnais, in a deal that would sever the French soccer club’s ties to Textor’s Eagle Football Holdings. Through Eagle Football Holdings, Textor also holds stakes in Brazil’s Botafogo and Belgium’s RWDM Brussels.
Textor’s lawsuit features seven counts, including defamation, fraudulent concealment, and civil conspiracy. It formally alleges what he has previously said in public: that Kang tricked him into handing her operational control of Lyon under the guise of a friendly business partnership, while at the same time entering into a “secret” side agreement with private-credit firm Ares, which has lent millions to Eagle Football Holdings, that established a “shadow board.” In February, Textor told Front Office Sports this all represented “one hell of a power play.”
A spokesperson for Kang said in an email to FOS “we are aware of the complaint.”
“The allegations are baseless and entirely without merit, and this complaint represents John Textor’s latest attempt to divert attention from his own wrongdoing,” the spokesperson said. “Michele Kang remains focused on the long-term success and recovery of Olympique Lyonnais, and she will respond through the appropriate legal channels.”
According to Textor, part of why he agreed to hand the reins to Kang was that French soccer regulator DNCG had relegated Lyon over financial issues (that decision was later successfully appealed). In Monday’s complaint, Textor alleges it became clear he had been “targeted” by the DNCG and that the regulator “would look favorably” on Lyon if he “would resign from his posts as president and CEO.” Had he known about the “secret” side agreement between Kang and Ares, Textor says he “would never have resigned.”
According to the complaint, Kang had already negotiated the framework for the side agreement with Ares that allegedly established the “shadow board” before Textor stepped down while privately encouraging him to resign and assuring him she supported his vision for Eagle Football Holdings. Textor says he didn’t learn about the alleged side agreement or “shadow board” until months later, after he had already relinquished control of Lyon, and that he found out about it only because of a “whistleblower.”
Textor alleges the resulting “shadow board” met roughly 30 times over the course of five months, compared to only two meetings of the company’s official board. He claims the “shadow board” was part of a plan to push Eagle Football Holdings into insolvency, so Kang and other investors could ultimately acquire Lyon at a steep discount. Eagle Football Holdings in March was placed under the control of U.K. restructuring administrator Cork Gully.
In March, after Textor first publicly criticized the agreement between Kang and Ares, the holding company that owns and operates Lyon issued a statement aimed at “avoiding any confusion” created by “certain allegations made recently by John Textor.” According to that statement, “all undertakings” from Kang have fallen “within customary practice.”
Textor’s suit also comes on the heels of legal action from the parent company of Lyon, which in June said it had launched a complaint in France against “X,” representing an unidentified defendant. Although that criminal complaint does not specify Textor by name, a source familiar with the matter tells Front Office Sports that “X” refers to Textor. According to Eagle Football Group, an internal audit of Lyon’s operations between May 2023 and June 2025 found hundreds of suspicious financial transactions.
Still, Textor claims Kang and others “committed acts of private corruption, abuse of corporate power, presentation of inaccurate accounts, and dissemination of false or misleading information.” These offenses, “if proven,” could constitute criminal offenses under French law, the complaint says.
Textor in April filed a confidential criminal complaint against Kang with a French prosecutorial authority called Parquet National Financier.
Kang is the only defendant named in the Florida lawsuit, despite Ares and others being mentioned throughout as being in on the plot to oust Textor.
In addition to her ownership of the NWSL’s Spirit and men’s Lyon team, Kang also owns a majority stake in the Lyon women’s team and the London City Lionesses.
