Bernard Arnault is in “exclusive negotiations” to take over the club – Libération

2024-10-17 14:20:00

In a press release published on Thursday 17 October, the family holding of the billionaire head of LVMH announces its ambition to “change the size” of the Ile-de-France club, currently in Ligue 2. The Red Bull group would also take a “stake minority”.

Bernard Arnault attacks Paris FC. The billionaire’s family holding company, Agache, announced its entry on Thursday 17 October “in exclusive negotiations in order to the acquisition of a majority stake in Paris FC» and that the Red Bull group was also discussing “for the acquisition of a minority share“. According to a source close to the matter, the family of the owner of LVMH should initially hold 55% of the club and the Austrian brand 15%. As for the entrepreneur Pierre Ferracci, president of the Ligue 2 club since 2012, he would keep 30 % of the capital before selling his shares in 2027 to the Arnault family, who would then own 85% of the club.

«With the arrival of Agache as the club’s majority shareholder, the club will change size and aim for new successes», states the Arnault family holding, in a press release. The group”intends to gradually bring the men’s team back into the elite of men’s football“with”the same ambition» for the women’s team, which already plays in the first division. She “will rely on the teams present» and the president of Paris FC, Pierre Ferracci, who is also the father of the current Minister delegated to Industry, Marc Ferracci.

«With our support, as well as that of our partner Red Bull, we are confident that, gradually, we will write a beautiful page of French football together, without setting specific objectives at this stage. Sport sometimes holds many surprises!», declares Agache’s future representative on the board of directors of Paris FC, Antoine Arnault, son of Bernard Arnault. “Paris and Île-de-France constitute a pool of exceptional football talents who must train and develop first at a club in their region […]. We look forward to helping attract more female and male talents who will enhance the team’s performance» adds Red Bull general manager responsible for projects and investments, Oliver Mintzlaff.

Timeshare in football

Ultimately, the acquisition of Paris FC could lead to the presence in Ligue 1 of a second Parisian club, Paris Saint-Germain. It also raises the issue of time-sharing in football, potentially devastating for clubs’ sporting identity and sustainability, because the Red Bull group already controls several teams around the world, including RB Leipzig in Germany. Red Bullwill intervene mainly in the sporting dimension with an advisory role, whether it is to strengthen the identification of young talents capable of entering the sports center or to focus on the best profiles capable of strengthening the competitiveness of the first men’s and women’s teams“, reads the press release.

«Subject to the finalization of the legal documentation, this project remains subject to the personnel representative bodies of Paris FC and the approval of the control commission of professional clubs of the National Department of Management Control (DNCG).», he added. After eight matchdays of the championship, Paris FC is currently at the top of the Ligue 2 table.