Olympique Lyonnais: exclusive talks to acquire minority stake in ASVEL basketball (T. Parker)

"Olympique Lyonnais (Ligue 1 Conforama) confirms that exclusive discussions have been held with ASVEL SASP (Jeep Élite, French basketball first division) for a minority stake in the city's basketball club," announced the French club on 22/03/2019.

"This exclusivity period will extend until 30/06/2019. The acquisition of this stake would bring together two emblematic Lyon clubs," added Olympique Lyonnais.

"Tony Parker (president of LDLC ASVEL) has a project: to become the first structured club in France and to play in the EuroLeague. I think now he may need a partner like us to be able to grow," said Jean-Michel Aulas, president of Olympique Lyonnais, to the French sports daily L'Equipe on 21/03/2019.

In the future the merger between the two clubs could enable LDLC ASVEL to play its biggest games in the new 10,000-15,000 capacity events arena that Olympique Lyonnais wishes to build near the Groupama Stadium by 2022, as part of the further development of the "OL City" complex.

"We imagined, with Tony, that we could help each other, us on a basketball level in Villeurbanne (Lyon, FRA)…