Even though Crystal Palace shareholder John Textor tries to make work some integration between his clubs at Eagles Football Holdings, it doesn’t always work out.
A big example of it is an ongoing agreement there is with Portuguese manager Bruno Lage, who could be paid a few millions by the start of the next season.
As reported by UOL in Brazil, when Textor signed the coach to take charge of Botafogo in September last year, he promised him a job at Lyon in the summer of 2024.
That was not just a verbal offer, as it’s actually in a contract, and Lage will be paid €2.5m if the Crystal Palace shareholder doesn’t stick to his word.
Botafogo had been in great form at the stage of that agreement, taking large steps to win the Brazilian league, and that promise was a way to attract the manager, confirm the title and reward him in the future.
Well, that all went very wrong. Lage was in charge of Botafogo for just 15 games, only getting four wins, and was sacked at the start of October. The Rio de Janeiro side, who were once 13 points clear on top of the table, ended up finishing 5th.
Textor should soon get reminded about his promise to Lage.
Lyon have Pierre Sage on a contract until the summer, and with Oliver Glasner doing very well at Crystal Palace, he can’t even switch his promise to the London side.