France: French senator says the state of Azerbaijan paid €10m to RC Lens

"The state of Azerbaijan made the payment in two installments. A first one of €7m and a second of €3m. It was a way of saving the club for purely benevolent reasons," said André Reichardt, the senator for the Bas-Rhin department and the president-delegate for Azerbaijan of the interparliamentary France-Caucasus friendship group, on 18/03/2015, about the relationship between RC Lens (Ligue 1) and the country.

The Azerbaijani government reportedly intervened to assist RC Lens in late 2014 due to the lack of payments from Hafiz Mammadov, who owns 99% of the club. The Azerbaijani businessmen has been in financial difficulties in his country since the summer of 2014 and did not pay the €14m that he was due to pay to the French club in January 2015.

"Now (payments from the state), are no longer possible. This is what I was told by the Azerbaijani ambassador to France. The Azerbaijani State now wants solutions to be found between the parties involved in this private matter," said André Reichardt to France 3 TV on 18/03/2015.

"I do not think there is any ill will on his part. Let me be…