The financier Romain Peugeot gave up Thursday to take over FC Sochaux Montbéliard (FCSM), threatened with bankruptcy, after the rejection of an appeal by the football club before the administrative justice to try to obtain its maintenance in Ligue 2.
The great-grandson of the founder of the almost century-old club had raised several million euros to try to guarantee the future of the FCSM, which its Chinese shareholder wishes to abandon. But this project is not viable outside Ligue 2, he said in a statement.
“We have just learned of the decision of the Paris administrative court dated August 3, 2023 which refuses to examine the FCSM’s request on the grounds that the urgency has not been demonstrated, while the Ligue 2 championship begins this Saturday, ”announced Mr. Peugeot, a 33-year-old London-based financier.
Evoking “a huge disappointment”, the group of investors federated by Romain Peugeot “can only regret that its project financed in full (…) is not taken into account, despite the documents communicated demonstrating it”.
A first appeal to the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF) had already been rejected on Tuesday, pushing the club a little further towards filing for bankruptcy. The FCSM had therefore seized administrative justice just before the resumption of the championship. The absence of Sochaux should benefit Annecy.
The Sochaux club is the property of the Chinese real estate group Nenking, in great financial difficulty. “It is now up to this shareholder to take responsibility,” according to the press release from Romain Peugeot.
