Ligue 1 Uber Eats: "FC Lorient will not become a subsidiary club" (Loïc Féry, president)

"I would like to stress that FC Lorient (Ligue 1 Uber Eats) will not become a subsidiary club. I am the majority shareholder and president, with the decision-making power needed to follow our development strategy. It is therefore not a complete overhaul of our entire business, but a continuity in our management," said Loïc Féry, president and owner of FC Lorient, in a message addressed to the club's supporters on 22/01/2023.

This statement comes nine days after the announcement of a strategic partnership between the American consortium Black Knight Football and Entertainment, led by Bill Foley (USA), which already owns AFC Bournemouth (Premier League) since December 2022, and FC Lorient. The partnership includes the acquisition by Foley of a 40% minority stake in FC Lorient's holding company via a €10m capital increase to be completed by the summer of 2023. Amongst the reactions to this operation was that of the Merlus Ultras 1995 supporters' group, who wrote an open letter calling for Bill Foley's resignation.

"The partnership with our new American shareholder is being demonised…