Toulouse (AFP)

Toulouse FC, demoted to Ligue 2, formalized its passage under the American flag on Monday with the arrival of the RedBird Capital Partners fund, which puts an end to the long presidency of Olivier Sadran, replaced by the experienced Damien Comolli.

The investment fund has announced that it has bought 85% of the club's shares, with former President Sadran retaining 15% of the shares.

The latter was since 2001 at the head of the club, then in National (3rd division), and will have known for best results a third place of L1, in 2007, and two participations in the Europa League (2007-2008, 2009-2010) .

"We are determined to give the club solid and lasting foundations that will lead it to success, by improving its sports performance on the field and its management, as well as by further developing its contribution to the dynamism of the territory," promised Gerry Cardinale. , founder and managing partner of the investment fund, in a press release.

"The club has great potential and I look forward to working with the players, our staff and RedBird to achieve our ambition," added Damien Comolli.

Aged 47, Mr. Comolli was a leader in such prestigious clubs as Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, Saint-Étienne or Fenerbahçe, before becoming the representative in France of the American fund.

The TFC, ambassador of the fourth city of France, is the ninth French football club to go under foreign capital after Paris SG, Lille, Monaco, Nice (L1) as well as Auxerre and Sochaux (L2), the 3rd under the starry banner with Marseille and Bordeaux.

The transaction amount was not sent. However, the sports daily L'Équipe recently mentioned the figure of EUR 20 million.

"I am convinced that together we have the energy, the expertise and the resources necessary to take the club to the next level," commented Sadran (50), head of the group catering group Newrest, who has been hiding for a few months his desire to withdraw.

- Handover -

This signing came to close a longer sequence than expected since the announcement of the entry into exclusive negotiations between the two parties in late May.

However, if nothing was official, the handover had in fact already started several weeks ago. First strong signal: the replacement of trainer Denis Zanko, who has returned to his post as director of the training center, by Patrice Garande.

The arrival of Nantes goalkeeper Maxime Dupé, Jérôme Fougeron as head of the recruitment unit or Dr Patrick Flamant (ex-LOSC and Monaco) as head of the medical sector had also confirmed that Mr. Comolli was already installed.

And with him, it's a new American investor who is gaining a foothold in French football: RedBird Capital Partners was founded in 2014 by Gerry Cardinale, former partner at Goldman Sachs, where he worked for 20 years.

Today, he manages more than three billion dollars in assets with this fund already present in the sports world through the baseball franchise of the New York Yankees and the Dallas Cowboys in American football. He has also invested in image management of top athletes, in sports events and in a regional sports chain in the United States.

- "Find the elite" -

After three years of research and 70 European clubs studied, RedBird Capital has set its sights on the TFC, a team yet in full sports agony: only 3 victories in 28 days of L1 disputed and a place of red lantern of L1 before the stop anticipated for the season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

After having unsuccessfully challenged his relegation to L2 before the courts, the club finally accepted it. And this new era must allow it to "find the elite" immediately.

To achieve this, the workforce will necessarily be reshaped. To date, a dozen players have already left, including three transfers (Baptiste Reynet, Quentin Boisgard, Corentin Jean). Others will follow: Max-Alain Gradel, captain and bigger salary, or the former Dijon-based Wesley Saïd, pitiful biggest transfer in the history of the club (8 ME) ...

To compensate, young finalists of the Gambardella 2018 will probably join the pros. Above all, the recruitment that the TFC will offer will demonstrate the possibilities for Garande to succeed with the "Tef" what he already obtained with Caen (2014): the ascent to L1.

© 2020 AFP