directors fired, disastrous management … Soyaux is going through a new crisis

Unpaid service providers and official accommodation

Since the start of the season, many management concerns have arisen at Soyaux. According to our information, representation bonuses granted to players for this season have been paid in small quantities. Some coverage has not been provided, such as injuries (with the Health Insurance) or with regard to staff housing. Some donors repeatedly complained that the club had long delays in rent payments. Same song for providers such as physiotherapists or mental trainers of the first team who saw their bills unanswered and who interrupted their collaboration with Soyaux.

The departure of Sébastien Joseph, announced in October, accelerated things: “There was a lack of transparency in recent months even with regard to me, but I understood that this concerned everyone, says the majority shareholder Benoit Letapissier . We had to move on, the departure of the coach put me in the ear. Things deteriorated and when he made his decision, I tried to hold him back but he could not no longer work with them “. Alerted, this head of a telecommunications company based in the Paris region is launching an internal audit.

Last week, cornered by numerous internal difficulties and management problems, the Cordeau-Dupeyrat duo left the ship. The association then votes to oust the leaders. Benoit Letapiissier takes back their shares (to own 75% of the capital now, 25% for the association). Since their departure, the administrators of the Charente club have held meetings to take stock of the massacre. “There were contracts with partners that were running but were not signed, I signed them. I made a commitment with everyone, all current contracts are confirmed. No dismissal for the moment”, maintains the new Sojaldian CEO.

A season on the way of the cross

Benoit Letapissier spent his weekend at Soyaux to chain meetings, and take his first important decisions. He notably appointed Robert Corfu, as a new technical referent who “will only deal with football, the athlete”, signed the contract of Laurent Mortel, the new coach of the women’s D1, and requested the creation of a position for each employee: “There was a lack of transparency, of clarity on what was happening at the club these last three months. The watchword now is transparency.”

The meeting with the club’s financial partner was reassuring on Monday morning. “I am doing everything to make it work, there will be only one head up, two heads that does not work. The accounts are not in a catastrophic state, the federal aid coming from the TV rights of the LFP will do us good. I’m ready to invest a little more, but on condition of knowing where we are going. I saw the players this morning, the atmosphere is great. “

The leader even hopes to have some reinforcements in the coming months after having had the green light from the DNCG that he will request. Nevertheless, it is a speech already heard a few months ago, the future will tell us if the project is solid this time. This Monday morning, the players promised their new CEO to fight and raise their heads. To get back in the saddle, the penultimate in the D1 classification moves to the Lyon leader’s lawn on Friday. We have known easier to move forward.