Romain Peugeot has managed to put together a “sufficient” takeover offer from FC Sochaux Montbéliard to keep the football club in Ligue 2, we learned on Monday from a source close to the buyers.
Along with other investors, the great-grandson of the club’s founder “managed to put together an alternative offer”, despite the defection of outgoing Chinese owner Nenking, the source said.
Mr. Peugeot therefore avails himself of a “structured, solid, complete and sufficient file to be presented to the CNOSF”, the French National Olympic and Sports Committee, which must assess in the afternoon the maintenance of the club in L2. “The Chinese left when an agreement (recovery) had been concluded with them last week,” confirmed the same source.
Under the terms of this agreement, Mr. Peugeot, supported by several local authorities, should have taken over 67% of the capital of FCSM for 8 million euros, Nenking temporarily retaining the remaining capital (4 million euros). But the Chinese shareholder has reconsidered this commitment, announced Sunday to AFP the senator of the Territory of Belfort Cédric Perrin.
Mr. Peugeot, now the sole owner of the Club with his partners, must prove to the CNOSF that he has the 12 million required to maintain the club in Ligue 2. According to the source close to the buyers, a decision by the governing bodies of French football is hoped “by the weekend” because the resumption of the L2 championship is expected on Saturday.
The club, 9th in Ligue 2 at the end of the last exercise, has for the moment been demoted to National by the DNCG. Last week, Emmanuel Macron had “wanted to express to the owners his attention to safeguarding the FCSM and its employees as well as its training center”, a source from the entourage of the President of the Republic told AFP.