Enough to win a long quarrel. This Tuesday, December 23, US Avranches effectively announced the final decision of the courts in the dispute between it and the French Football Federation (FFF)… during the 2022-2023 season. As a reminder, during the first day of National, the current resident of the fourth French division won on the field against SO Cholet with a score of 3 goals to 1. Following this meeting, the FFF decided to invalidate this result, transforming the victory into a defeat on the green carpet (3-0) and also inflicting a penalty point on the club, i.e. a total withdrawal of four points. A sanction which was based on the alignment of the player Victor Daguin, which the federal authorities – the Federal Settlements and Litigation Commission then the Higher Appeals Commission – had considered suspended at the time of the meeting.
The FFF comes out the loser, Concarneau too
The Manchois then engaged in a long legal battle by first appealing to the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF) which ruled in favor of the club and asked the FFF to review its position. This conciliation proposal having been refused by the Federation, the club then brought the matter before the Paris Administrative Court. On January 18, 2024, almost six months after the end of the season, the Administrative Court annulled the decisions of the 3F. The Administrative Court of Appeal, by decision of February 5, 2025, then rejected the appeal filed by the FFF, thus confirming the absence of fault committed by the US Avranches MSM.
The football court in France then appealed to the Council of State. Last week, the FFF was definitively rejected. “The final ranking will not be reviewed, but with the maintenance of the 4 points wrongly withdrawn, we would have finished the championship in 7th place with a total of 49 points. US Concarneau, which was our “partner” in this dispute, had been deducted 2 points for the same reasons and would have finished the only headers in the championship,” said Strasbourg’s next opponent (L1) in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France. “This final decision unambiguously confirms that the US Avranches MSM has always acted in compliance with the regulations and demonstrates the seriousness, rigor and competence of legal monitoring within our structure. This fight was initiated by our former president Gilbert Guérin, to whom this matter was particularly close to his heart. On this day, the entire club has a heartfelt thought for him. His commitment, determination and confidence will not have been in vain. The US Avranches MSM will continue to defend its values, integrity and rights with the same firmness. »
To summarize
Enough to win a long quarrel. This Tuesday, December 23, US Avranches effectively announced the final decision of the courts in the dispute between it and the French Football Federation (FFF)… during the 2022-2023 season. As a reminder, during the first day of National, the current resident of the fourth French division won on the field against SO Cholet with a score of 3 goals to 1.
