The sale of AS Saint-Etienne has caused a lot of discussion in recent years. A real sea serpent that exasperates the Green People. Another Ligue 2 club is heading towards a sale in the coming weeks: Les Girondins de Bordeaux.
The Girondins de Bordeaux on sale?
The Girondins de Bordeaux are not doing much better than ASSE. Deprived of a climb on the last day last season, the people of Bordeaux have had a complicated year. With disappointing results, the rise to Ligue 1 today seems rather unexpected.
Enough to review the sails on an economic level. Banned from recruitment this winter by the DNCG, Gerard Lopez had promised the arrival of new investors in Bordeaux.
At the beginning of January, Sud-Ouest told us that the current president of the Girondins would be inclined to sell the club. It would no longer be closed to an investor proposing a buyout of more than 50% of the club’s shares. This amounts to saying that the Girondins de Bordeaux were on sale…
According to the newspaper, Lopez’s objective remains to leave the club while recovering his stake. Without a return to Ligue 1, many millions will still have to be injected. Who will dare to venture into such a project?
A denial from the club in January
Following this article from Sud-Ouest, the Girondins de Bordeaux club insisted on denying it.
“We have received 12 expressions of interest. Six entities have signed confidentiality clauses to obtain more information. Discussions are continuing with four of them. Last summer, there was a takeover offer for 100% from the club and it was refused because it was considered not what was needed for the club at that time.
Investors are today talking about taking a majority stake but the preferred scenario remains that of a minority sale as we have always mentioned. The club denies the desire to sell the club to another majority shareholder. A single scenario evokes a majority stake of up to 60%, with Gérard Lopez who would remain at 40% and manager, which would allow him to ensure that the project – his – goes in the right direction. There is no scenario where he leaves the club.
Furthermore, the fact that Gérard Lopez asks for 23 million is false. In the current discussions, the financial aspect is important – remember that Gérard Lopez has invested 48 million euros, a very significant sum in French football for an individual investor – but the most important thing remains to find the right shareholder who will enable the development and sustainability of the club. This is the central point of this negotiation. We will not sell to just anyone and do anything.“
The Girondins soon sold to Americans!
This Friday, Sud-Ouest tells us that the Girondins de Bordeaux are on the verge of being sold. And this to a former president of ….. Olympique Lyonnais!
“The Basque Santiago Cucci, interim executive president of OL in 2023, and the entrepreneur Michaël Benabou are negotiating with Gérard Lopez to buy the club. They were in Bordeaux at the start of the week
Who will be the owner and manager of the Girondins de Bordeaux next summer, when it comes time to appear before the DNCG (National Directorate of Management Control) to have the accounts validated and approve the budget for next season? It is not guaranteed that the mission will still be carried out by Gérard Lopez, 99.9% shareholder. […]
and president since summer 2021.
Santiago Cucci and Michaël Benabou are supported by an American investment fund already present in sport and entertainment.
The option of a change of owner and manager is, however, on the table. According to Gérard Lopez’s entourage, three entities are currently in negotiations with him and have access to the “data room”, a server on which the FCGB’s financial, accounting and social data are stored.
According to our information, at least one of these three projects wishes to become both a majority shareholder and manager of the Girondins. It is worn by the Basque Santiago Cucci, interim executive president of Olympique Lyonnais from July to December 2023, and Michaël Benabou, a French entrepreneur. They did not respond to our requests.Still according to our sources, the two men are supported by an American investment fund already present in sport and entertainment.
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⚽️????Info@South West . #Girondins of #Bordeaux
: A Franco-American takeover project in negotiations with Gérard Lopez for a takeover. ▶️What we know #Ligue2 #LFP????https://t.co/pU75O1LOTu — Sud Ouest Girondins (@SO_Girondins)
February 16, 2024
2024-02-16 11:00:52
#sale #led #player
