“The suspension of payment awaits … We are already on probation. What keeps us going is the loan guaranteed by the state. ” These words are not those of Roland Romeyer, but of Didier Lacroix, president of Stade Toulousain. The warning cry launched in Le Figaro by one of the biggest French rugby clubs, however, may soon be by a football executive. Because, as Lacroix points out, “the loans must be repaid one day …”
For ASSE that day has arrived, if not for the PGE at least for loans incurred two years ago when it was necessary to recruit hard in the middle of the season to save the club.
Without the loan guaranteed by the state, the deficit would have been 10 million
Is it necessary to recall this painful memory? When Oscar Garcia arrived, his shareholders couldn’t afford the center-forward he was asking for and five months later arrived M’Vila, Debuchy, Subotic, Netp. There had been no multiplication of receipts on the Greens’ bank statements, just lines of credit granted at full cost.
With Europe this season and without the Covid, the scores might not have suffered too much, but 17th place was a game-changer. If before the DNCG, the balance sheet remains positive, it would have posted a deficit of 10 M € without the PGE and Xavier Thuilot relativized the figures on the News Tank site: “The club is not rich because it has achieved ten positive exercises. He had taken out loans to meet the championship’s sports arms race, anticipating rising TV rights. That explains why he’s still in L1, but he can’t splurge on the transfer market. “
Is there a threat to the payment of TV rights?
The reduced crowds and the risks of being in camera make the provisional budgets even more uncertain and the rigor more certain. This is what Claude Puel understood. If he “was aware of the policy to put in place to reduce losses, while keeping ambitions and developing assets” he now says he has “another piece of data” that he “cannot reveal” but which is serious enough for him to say “There isn’t even a debate. We had the choice between keeping Fofana or perpetuating the club and its employees ”. Clearly for lack of transfer, there would have been economic measures and risk of layoffs before the end of the financial year.
The previous week, in Les Échos, Bernard Caïazzo said precisely that “Without sales, French football would be at the bottom of the hole”. “1027 French play abroad, it is the strongest contingent in the world behind the 1600 Brazilians and it allows clubs in France to present positive accounts (+ € 359m). The results of the clubs, excluding transfers, are very negative ”.
To remedy this, Monaco had shown the way with more than a billion in sales in ten years, Lille followed with Pépé bought 10M € and sold 50M € or Osimhen enlisted for 22M € and sold 70M €. But this trading is attracting the greed of American investment funds, including “Didier Quillot toured to write the article on L1” as noted in the Express, Régis Juanico, deputy for the Loire. Currently, the same financiers are on the prowl, but failing to grab the stakes at a lower cost. Was it to protect itself from an opportunistic and unfriendly takeover, as well as serious economic hardship, that ASSE finally accepted Leicester’s offer? Some also fear difficulties on the side of Mediapro and the payment of TV rights. What is certain is that there is general concern about Covid measures, as evidenced by a statement from Unipros which brings together representatives of professional clubs: “The threat of an economic collapse for most structures could materialize from the weeks to come by situations of default of payment ”.
Romeyer hit the jackpot
In Saint-Etienne, Xavier Thuilot had warned even before Fofana’s departure “The increase in TV rights will not automatically keep the players”. Was it premonitory or thoughtful? What is certain is that by pushing Leicester to a higher bid, by also playing on the Italian competition, Roland Romeyer who supervised the file pulled the jackpot, perhaps helped by Claude Puel who knows the English club well and kept contact there. Did he feel how far ASSE could go? He knew that Saint-Etienne would not lose. Financially in case of departure, sportingly if Fofana stayed. “
Didier BIGARD