Ligue 1: "My involvement with Evian TG will end unless Esfandiar Bakhtiar withdraws" (Yves Bontaz)

"I am a sponsor (of the club) for €1.1m, €700,000 of which is for the shirt sponsorship. I have consulted a lawyer and I am considering terminating the contract. My involvement with Evian TG will end unless Esfandiar Bakhtiar (main shareholder) withdraws and we (minority shareholding group of the club) become the main shareholder. If Bakhtiar sells his stake, I am willing to pay 30% of the previously offered price. It would still be more than €1m..." said Yves Bontaz, the president of Bontaz-Centre, a main sponsor of Evian Thonon Gaillard FC (Ligue 1), whose relegation to Ligue 2 in 2015-16 is now confirmed, on 20/05/2015.

HSFD (Haute-Savoie Football Development), the holding company which owns a majority share in Evian TG, acquired a 35% stake in the club from minority shareholders for an amount fixed by a legal expert at €1,844,780. Yves Bontaz claimed to have purchased additional shares from minority shareholders on 28/05/2014, but HSFD had a right of first refusal on the acquisition of 35% of the capital until 26/03/2015, and thus blocked the transation.

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