EXCLUSIVE NEGOTIATIONS WITH REIGN FC
REIGN FC PLAYS IN TACOMA WASHINGTON, NEAR SEATTLE
Lyon, November 25, 2019
Olympique Lyonnais has entered into exclusive discussions for the acquisition of Reign FC, a founding member of the US-based National Women's Soccer League. Reign FC features players such as forward Megan Rapinoe, the 2019 Best FIFA Women's Player, who played for OL in 2013 before joining Reign, as well as Welsh international and former OL midfielder Jess Fishlock.
Now entering its eighth season in the NWSL, Reign FC plays its home matches at Cheney Stadium, in Tacoma, Washington, near Seattle. The club has won two NWSL Shields (2014 and 2015), has twice appeared in the NWSL Championship match (2014 and 2015), and has made four playoff appearances since the club was founded in 2012 (2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019). In 2019 Reign FC featured the NWSL Rookie of the Year, forward Bethany Balcer, and NWSL Coach of the Year, Vlatko Andonovkski. Andonovkski recently agreed to become the head coach of the U.S. Women's National Team, who won the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup after prevailing in the final match at Groupama Stadium last July.
This investment is expected to strengthen OL's position as a major player in women's football around the world and to further develop the OL brand in the United States.
OL and Reign FC expect the transaction to close prior to 31 January 2020 so that it will be in effect before the start of the 2020 season, which begins on 9 March 2020.
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