The same mayor of Pau, three days later…
The same mayor of Pau, three days later, on Monday June 27 during the last city council where Elan Béarnais was at the heart of the debates with nearly two hours devoted to its setbacks: “Yes, I heard that there was a takeover project and that the League would be ready to support this project”.
In three days, the tone of the mayor’s speech had evolved from mere supposition to credible possibility. Why ? Quite simply because, according to our information, a solid recovery plan, which has taken shape since this spring, exists.
This “plan B” very possibly “A” in the days to come, which has nothing to do with the project proposed by the Darnauzan brothers last year, would be the unexpected alternative to come to the rescue of the club, half- Championship finalist and winner of the Coupe de France in April, but who is heading inexorably towards bankruptcy and demotion to National 3 if nothing concrete happens next week.
Trust is broken
Ten days have passed and François Bayrou’s “hearsay” is therefore confirmed. Several reliable signals point to an alternative project that should arise from the woods to save the Elan from the precipice to which it is promised.
A glimmer of hope that most of the world had hoped for so much the calamitous human, financial and economic management of CSG in recent months has put the sports structure on the straw with a structural deficit close to 3 million at the end of the financial year ( on a budget estimated at 7.8 million). Not to mention the current banking situation which is flirting with cessation of payment.
Beyond the figures in the bright red, which are enough to undermine the credibility of the American project which nevertheless felt the good move barely a year ago, with the credible guarantees that were a priori Stu Jackson, ex vice- president of the NBA, and Jamal Mashburn, former NBA All Star converted into a millionaire entrepreneur, trust is broken between CSG and almost all the players who gravitate from near or far around the Elan. Players, employees, volunteers, partners, service providers, supporters, token buyers, Pau town hall… Unanimity is massive against the men of Seattle (1).
“Whatever happens, we will never be able to believe them again,” a player told us earlier this week.
Despite the resolutely optimistic speeches delivered by David Otto, co-founder and president of CSG before the first appearance before the DNCCG on June 23, then again that of Greg Heuss, CEO of CSG, who this mid-week still slipped that “we are very confident that the LNB will keep Elan Béarnais in the league. We are told that we will have this confirmation on July 11 (during the decision on appeal, editor’s note)”, no one has any illusions any more: whatever the verdict handed down by the appeal commission this Monday afternoon, CSG no longer has any future in Pau. Even David Otto, who will be present in Paris, would arrive with suitcases of dollars.
He himself had also had in our columns a sentence heavy with meaning, two days after the sanction taken by the DNCCG: “If there is someone locally who thinks he can do a better job than us, we will talk to him . »
Another possibility of appeal
What will happen once the appeal decision is known? If the financial policeman of the LNB confirmed the sanction taken at first instance, it is not death assured. The club would then have the possibility of appealing to the federal committee, which would give it the last ten days of reprieve to present a new project.
A window largely sufficient to allow buyers, all French this time. Personalities who would undertake to take over the club’s debt and to settle the amount linked to the purchase of 72% of the shares at the town hall (the famous 800,000 euros still not settled by CSG), then would come out of the shadows and reveal their project for the club to be once again involved in the elite at the start of the school year, in a sustainable way over the next few years.
With a major downside, but which ultimately still seems ridiculous today: building a team at almost 100% with more than a month behind all the competition.
On the other hand, if the DNCCG reconsidered its first decision and validated the commitment of Elan Béarnais in the Elite in September, convinced by the evidence provided by David Otto, the club would then find itself faced with a preposterous situation: an arm of iron with tragic contours, between CSG on one side and all the French players on the other. With most certainly justice as the only way out.
(1) Following our articles published this Tuesday, July 5 about the nebula linked to the sale of tokens, the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) has launched an investigation which could have repercussions at the judicial level.
