He throws in the towel… After fighting for several weeks, Romain Peugeot gave up on Thursday August 3 to take over FC Sochaux Montbéliard (FCSM), threatened with bankruptcy, after the rejection of an appeal by the football club to the courts. administrative to try to obtain its maintenance in Ligue 2. The great-grandson of the founder of the almost centenary club had gathered several million euros to try to guarantee the future of the FCSM… in vain. And as the current Chinese shareholder is in great financial difficulty, the Sochaux club risks disappearing. The administrative court of Paris considers that the takeover project of Romain Peugeot is not viable outside of Ligue 2.
“We have just learned of the decision of the Administrative Court of Paris dated August 3, 2023 which refuses to examine the request of the FCSM on the grounds that the urgency is not demonstrated, while the Ligue 2 championship begins this Saturday,” said 33-year-old London-based financier Romain Peugeot.
Evoking “an immense 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 LFP has indeed announced the draft of this club in Ligue 2.
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.
