LOSC Lille (Ligue 1): "I am very proud to be the new owner and succeed Michel Seydoux" (G. Lopez)

"I am very proud, personally, to be the new owner of the LOSC and succeed Michel Seydoux," said, on 13/01/2017, Gerard Lopez, the new owner and president of LOSC Lille (Ligue 1) with effect from Monday, 16/01/2017.

Gerard Lopez, Spanish-Luxembourg businessman of the investment company Genii Group and Nekton, a company specialising in trading and investment in fossil fuels, had entered into exclusive negotiations with Michel Seydoux, president and majority shareholder of LOSC Lille, for the takeover of club on 16/10/2016. The LOSC Lille supervisory board delivered a favourable opinion on takeover proposal on 12/12/2016. Both men have concluded the takeover of the club on 13/01/2017.

Gerard Lopez indicated that has acquired only the club, and that he now holds all of the shares of shareholders in the Socle holding company (which was thus the majority shareholder of LOSC Lille, at a minimum of 95%). However, Lopez did not exclude further strategic shareholding acquisitions in the future, depending on the projects chosen by the club. "This is a collective adventure that engages with the…