Dreaded since the outbreak of the health crisis, social plans are now a reality in the world of French professional football.
After Bordeaux, which announced at the beginning of January the implementation of a job protection plan for around twenty people, it is the turn of the Stade Malherbe de Caen to consider this solution to deal with a structural deficit valued at 15 million euros, according to Ouest-France, which reveals the information.
The daily indicates that the management of the Norman club which evolves in Ligue 2 presented this Monday morning “a project of reorganization of the company via a plan of safeguard of the employment” in front of the representatives of the personnel.
This would concern, as with the Girondins, around twenty positions among the 158 employees.
At the same time as the implementation of a voluntary departure plan, management ensures that it will support employees affected by the downsizing by calling on an outside firm to facilitate their reclassification.
“Humanly, it's complicated.
But it is for the survival and sustainability of the club.
This plan will also allow a large part of the employees to remain in the company, and at the Stade Malherbe to continue to exist, ”explains Arnaud Tanguy, general manager of the Norman club in Ouest France.
The leader specifies that the Covid-19 crisis has worsened the deficit following the descent in Ligue 2 two seasons ago.
“Despite the descent, there were no de facto adjustments, in any case on the number of contracts outside the athlete, to adapt to the scale of the L2”, adds the manager.
Wage cuts among professional players expected
The shareholders (the American asset management fund Oaktree Capital and the French producer Pierre-Antoine Capton) have already reinjected several million euros in the club's coffers.
A financial effort that will not be enough to dismiss the specter of bankruptcy.
In addition to a cost reduction policy carried out in several areas of the club, the management should very soon have a discussion with the professional workforce to discuss a possible reduction in salaries.
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