For FC Versailles, 5th in National, it is the beginning of a new era. Alexandre Mulliez (37), grandson of the founder of the Auchan group, former vice-president of Auchan Retail France and director of several companies, will become the majority shareholder of the club while leaving a place to Christophe Petit and Julien Ridon, the two former presidents, now a minority in the capital, on the board of directors.
He will be accompanied by his right-hand man Fabien Lazare. Enough to look to the future with some optimism, because the last few weeks have been stormy.
In the grip of great financial difficulties under the background of madness of grandeur, the club of Yvelines feared, indeed, the great oral of the DNCG (national direction of management control), obligatory passage for all clubs of National and N2. Last November, the financial gendarme had already taunted the Versailles leaders during their passage because of the non-presence of certain documents.
Big contracts to take on
On Tuesday, June 6, Julien Ridon, accompanied by the new shareholders, went to the DNCG to ensure the viability of the new FC Versailles project. According to our information, the body listened carefully to the new leaders, appreciated the arrival of a new powerful and serious majority shareholder.
But it has not yet decided for next season. On the record of his decisions of the day, the mention "stay of proceedings" appears for Versailles. This means that the DNCG is still waiting for a number of additional documents, including documents related to the transfer of power, to decide.
But this expectation, before the decision, can rather be interpreted as a positive sign. If the financial situation had been more serious, the DNCG would not have hesitated to sanction the club. Summoned Tuesday as Versailles, Sedan, 7th in National and where 900,000 euros are missing, was demoted to National 2.
In addition to convincing the DNCG, Versailles, which no longer has a coach or head of recruitment, must also prepare for the new season with a budget that should be revised downwards. Eleven players are still under contract: Armand, Brun, Gibaud, Jaques, Lapis, Leborgne, Lefèvre, Lens, Polomat, Prunier and Renot. Of these, eight have salaries above 9,000 euros. Big contracts that Versailles will have to assume.