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, “aims to recover documents within the framework of the contracts made from club to club for the purchase, the exchange of players”, indicated this source, confirming information from the daily newspaper L’Équipe.
But “it’s not about hearings”, as mentioned by the team, said this source to AFP. Losc reacted in a press release at the start of the evening: “Following the internal audit carried out at the start of 2021 by the club’s new leaders, Losc had filed a complaint against X in October 2021, considering that it was a victim of a number of contracts signed by the former management. Following this complaint, a search took place today at the Domaine de Luchin, ”wrote the northern club.
“Losc naturally collaborates in the procedure and its leaders are obviously at the full disposal of the police and justice in the context of this investigation,” he concluded.
According to the source with knowledge of the file, this police operation is aimed in particular at the terms of transfer of the Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, transferred from Lille to Naples (Italian D1) in July 2020 for more than 71 million euros.
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.
