Ligue 1: search at the headquarters of the Lille club regarding a player transfer

A search was carried out Tuesday at the Domaine de Luchin, the headquarters of the Lille club (L1) concerning "problems of movement of players", told AFP a source with knowledge of the file.

This search, which was still in progress at the end of the afternoon on Tuesday, “aims to recover documents within the framework of contracts made from club to club for the purchase, the exchange of players”, indicated this source. , confirming information from the daily L'Équipe.

But "it's not about hearings", as mentioned by L'Équipe, this source told AFP.

Asked, Losc did not wish to react.

According to the same source, this police operation is aimed in particular at the terms of transfer of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, transferred from Lille to Naples (Italian D1) in July 2020 for more than 71 million euros.

Frozen commission payments

At that time, Spanish-Luxembourgish businessman Gerard Lopez was the owner and chairman of the northern club, now owned by Luxembourg-based investment fund Merlyn Partners, while Olivier Létang is its CEO.

For several months, the two leaders have clashed in the press on several occasions, particularly about the transfer of Osimhen, which would have ultimately brought in much less than 71 million euros for the Lille club.

In June 2021, Losc decided to freeze the payment of agent commissions negotiated and promised by the former leaders and valued at several million euros.

"We want to ensure that the legal framework has been respected," said Olivier Létang in L'Équipe, a few days after the title of champion of France won by the Mastiffs.