With each passing day, Sochaux is getting closer to filing for bankruptcy. Because, despite intense negotiations, Nenking, its Chinese owner, has still not managed to find an investor capable of putting on the table the 12 M€ necessary to buy the FCSM, and thus launch the process which could perhaps allow him to keep his place in Ligue 2, via a referral from the CNOSF, while the club has been administratively downgraded to National by the DNCG.
Despite this distressing context, recent developments have fueled fragile hope internally. First, because at least two serious buyers are still in the running. It is on the one hand the financier Romain Peugeot, the great-grandson of the founder of Sochaux, who had a meeting the day before yesterday deemed constructive with the president of the club, Frankie Yau. The latter will, on the other hand, exchange today with intermediaries representing a foreign group presented as solid. In addition, Nenking decided to block the transfer to Sunderland of young striker Eliezer Mayenda (18), against 800,000 € (and 20% on resale), while the latter benefited from an exit voucher.
Macron “attentive”
This stated desire to stop the flight of talent (19 departures have already been recorded since the start of the summer) has been analyzed by some employees as proof that the owner of the FCSM has not given up on maintaining L2. It must be said that Nenking can no longer afford to be light-hearted in this matter. Indeed, Wednesday evening, during a meeting between the President of the Republic and the deputies of the majority, Nicolas Pacquot, an elected official from Doubs, discussed the future of the FCSM directly with Emmanuel Macron. “The President was very attentive to what was said to him on the subject, he had a serious air” says a witness.
And as Nenking intended a short time ago to develop projects in France, possibly benefiting from political support, this conglomerate specializing in real estate will undoubtedly seek to avoid at all costs a bankruptcy filing for Sochaux, which would have a significant social cost and would hinder its desire for expansion in France.