According to reporting from France Bleu, Sochaux will not be able to salvage their place in Ligue 2 after their administrative relegation by the DNCG, French football’s financial watchdog.
The former Ligue 1 regulars’ owners, the Chinese conglomerate Nenking, have not provided the €10m necessary to save the club. According to France Bleu, their struggles in the Chinese housing market has meant they were not in a capacity to transfer the sum, despite attempts on the part of director Samuel Laurent to convince them to make the financial effort. Despite a number of sales in the past week – including that of Skelly Alvero to Lyon – the club have been unable to shore up their deficit.
As a result, the DNCG will this Tuesday turn down Sochaux’s appeal to retain their place in Ligue 2. The club will then have several days to present a viable budget for the third tier, which also appears unlikely – should they fail to do so, they face bankruptcy and disappearing off the French football map.
The double Ligue 1 winners, who also have two Coupe de France victories to their name, have had several European campaigns down the years. Notably, they were narrowly knocked out of the UEFA Cup in the third round by Inter Milan in 2003/04.
GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin
