Sadio Mané did not wait for the end of his professional football career to become a club manager. At 31, the Senegalese international striker (99 caps), who plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, will become the majority shareholder of Bourges Foot 18 in January, currently ranked 13th and penultimate in Group B of National 2 ( division 4). According to our information, they should acquire almost 90% of the club’s shares.
Yann Galut, the socialist mayor of Bourges, and Cheikh Sylla, the Franco-Senegalese president of the club, announced the arrival of the 2022 African champion during a press conference organized at the town hall of the prefecture of Dear October 25. Held in Saudi Arabia for an Asian Champions League match, the person concerned spoke by videoconference to affirm his desire “to structure, develop and professionalize the club”.
Cheikh Sylla must soon convene an extraordinary general meeting to propose his resignation from the presidency and formalize the creation of the professional sports limited company. The amount of capital of the company has not been specified, nor the place that Sadio Mané will occupy in the future structure.
“League 2 by 2030”
“The objective is first of all to remain in National 2,” said Cheikh Sylla. If it is achieved, we will build an ambitious budget, more substantial but reasonable for 2024-2025 [it reaches 1.3 million euros this season]. We won’t do anything crazy, the money will be spent wisely. He comes for a long-term project, because we are aiming for Ligue 2 by 2030.”
Before becoming the owner of Bourges Foot 18, the vice-captain of the Lions of Teranga had already twice helped the club, then in financial difficulty, by paying it several hundred thousand euros, in June 2022 and 2023 The announcement of his acquisition of a stake in the capital also coincided with the recruitment of two Senegalese players with whom he is close: striker Moussa Konaté (32 caps), notably with Amiens or Dijon, and midfielder Mayoro N’Doye, who both played professionally.
According to Yann Galut, who caused the merger between the Bourges Foot and Bourges 18 clubs a few weeks after his election in July 2020, Sadio Mané “wishes to professionalize the club at all levels and establish a bridge between his country and France , by creating a training center in Senegal and allowing young African footballers to pursue their careers in Bourges”.
The player, adds the councilor, “is not driven by business logic, even if he intends not to lose money. He does not come to make a publicity stunt, but to build. He’s a man concerned about his image, he wants to succeed.” The club, which intends to change dimension, hopes to attract new sponsors through it.
