Tony Parker, the head of the Asvel, openly discussed the possibility of buying the LOLC Arena, taking advantage of the crisis at Olympique Lyon.
Asvel aims to have a larger arena to generate more revenue. On the other hand, Olympique Lyon is in crisis, creating an opportunity for them to sell the LOLC Arena. In an interview with “L’Equipe,” Tony Parker talked about the idea of his club purchasing the arena.
“I have talked to my shareholders; they want us to do it. We want to put ourselves in a position to buy the LOLC Arena. I believe we are in a good position because Olympique Lyon is one of the shareholders in Asvel. It would be beneficial for them if the arena is acquired by the group I lead, and it remains within Lyon’s system.”
Asvel would need to play their matches in two arenas, the LOLC Arena and Astroballe.
“If we buy the LOLC Arena, it will be a very successful business venture. We are aware that there will be many concerts held there. We want to stick to the model that was agreed upon initially.
Our plan is to play 13 EuroLeague games at the LOLC Arena, and four matches will be held at Astroballe. As for the domestic championship, all our games will be played at Astroballe,” said the former San Antonio Spurs basketball player.