Le Mans FC: "The ”Le Mans” brand linked to motorsport, a decisive factor for OutField" (Aymeric Magne)
"The arrival of the OutField fund in Le Mans is no coincidence. Significant preparatory work was carried out upstream to analyse the market and study a wide range of clubs, including at European level, in order to identify those that best matched their project. Very quickly, Le Mans FC
Sector: French football professional clubFoundation: 1985 (as ”MUC 72”)Stadium: Stade Marie-Marvingt (25,000 capacity)President: Thierry GomezMain shareholder: OutField (Brazilian fund)
emerged as the obvious choice. Firstly because of its history and football culture, but also because of the quality of its infrastructure. There is also a very strong element: the ”Le Mans” brand, which has an international dimension and is associated with powerful storytelling linked to motorsport. It enjoys far greater recognition than is sometimes imagined in France," said Aymeric Magne
Operating partner @ OutField • Board member @ Le Mans FC • President & founder @ Winger 11 Operating Partner & Advisory
to News Tank on 16/03/2026.
Aymeric Magne acts as operating partner on behalf of the Brazilian investment fund OutField, which became a minority shareholder in the Ligue 2 BKT
Name of the French Ligue 2 championship for the 2020-2024 cycle.
Balkrishna Industries Ltd. (BKT), an Indian tyre manufacturer, obtained the naming rights for Ligue 2 from 2020-21 for four seasons…
club in summer 2025 before becoming majority shareholder in February 2026.
"The role of an operating partner is to support the investor in ensuring the proper implementation of its strategy. It involves making sure that the investment remains aligned with the philosophy, vision and objectives set, while ensuring their effective execution in the club’s operations and development. I am involved throughout the investment cycle to support the project, facilitate its implementation and contribute to achieving the defined ambitions. It is not a supervisory role, but rather a catalyst role. In the sports and entertainment industry, this approach is still relatively new," added Aymeric Magne.
OutField’s majority stake in Le Mans FC, development priorities for the club, the attractiveness of Ligue 2… Aymeric Magne answered questions from News Tank.
"Making Le Mans FC a modern club, rooted in its territory and open to international opportunities" (A. Magne)
OutField’s increased stake in Le Mans FC partly involves the arrival of new investors. What do they bring?
The project leader is OutField, an investment fund originally based in Brazil, which manages around €500m in assets in its fund, including €150m in sports investments.
OutField is bringing other investors into its shareholder base such as Georgios Frangulis (GRE-BRA), founder of Oakberry, but also a professional racing driver, who brings all his expertise in the international development of the “Le Mans FC” brand, as well as Novak Djokovic (SRB), Felipe Massa (BRA) and Thibault Courtois (BEL), among others.
What is your role in this operation?
I am operating partner on behalf of OutField as part of the project being carried out with Le Mans FC. The role of an operating partner is to support the investor in ensuring the proper implementation of its strategy. It is about making sure that the investment remains faithful to the philosophy, vision and objectives set, while also ensuring that they are effectively translated into the club’s operations and development.
In this context, I am involved throughout the investment cycle to support the project, facilitate its implementation and contribute to achieving the ambitions that have been defined. It is not a supervisory role, but rather a catalyst role: creating the right dynamics, facilitating exchanges and helping the different stakeholders move forward in the same direction.
Perhaps among the only ones at this stage to structure this type of support in such a formalised wayThis operating partner function is already well established in many economic sectors.
In the world of sport and entertainment, however, this approach is still relatively new. To our knowledge, we are among the first — and perhaps even the only ones at this stage — to structure this type of support in such a formalised way.
OutField’s support for Le Mans FC therefore constitutes a first operation. It is intended to serve as a reference for other future projects, because this model brings both visibility and security: it reassures investors regarding the proper execution of their strategy, while offering clubs and sports assets structured support in their development.
My role is also to help the shareholder understand the local marketAt Le Mans FC, I work hand in hand with Thierry Gomez, the club’s president for the past 10 years, and his teams to help them. First, to understand the shareholder’s project and then to accelerate the project by putting in place the means that will allow the operational teams to succeed.
My role is also to support the shareholder in understanding the local market and the French market.
Georgios Frangulis is taking over the management of the brand.
Georgios Frangulis is one of the investors accompanying OutField. He is therefore involved within the same framework as the other partners in the project, with the idea of bringing both financial resources and complementary skills to the club’s development.
OutField’s strength lies in bringing together investors from the worlds of sport, marketing and entertainment. This not only allows us to have additional financial resources, but also to benefit from real expertise to support the club’s growth alongside Thierry in the presidency.
Oakberry is very active in sport, through partnerships with Formula 1 and several athletesAmong these investors, Georgios Frangulis occupies a particularly interesting place. He is the entrepreneur who founded the Oakberry brand, an international fast-food chain specialising in açaí, a fruit native to Brazil. Beyond the product itself, he has above all built an extremely strong brand, with a very advanced marketing and international development strategy.
Today, Oakberry is present in many countries and very active in sport, notably through partnerships with competitions such as Formula One and with several top-level athletes.
In this context, Georgios Frangulis will be able to bring the club his entrepreneurial vision, his experience in international brand development and his network in the worlds of sport and marketing. The objective is to place this expertise at the service of the growth and visibility of the Le Mans FC brand.
What are the main development priorities identified for the club?
OutField and Thierry Gomez share a common strategic vision: making Le Mans FC a modern club, rooted in its territory and open to international opportunities. Together we are rolling out a roadmap structured around three priority areas:
-
The acquisition from the City of Le Mans of the La Pincenardière - Le Clos Fleuri training centre;
-
The reopening of the academy from July 2026, closed for more than 10 years, including the renovation of the pitches at Le Clos Fleuri as well as the creation of a performance area indispensable for obtaining academy approval;
-
The strengthening of the sporting and administrative team to allow the club to be even more efficient and each employee to work in better conditions.
Has the acquisition of the training centre been finalised?
It has now been approved. For this type of transaction, it is necessary to rely on valuations from the French land authority in order to guarantee a price in line with market value. These valuations were obtained, which allowed us to set the acquisition price.
The acquisition should take place around JulyWe are now entering the standard administrative phase linked to the purchase of land. This process generally takes between three and six months. If the timetable proceeds normally, the finalisation should take place around the month of July.
All parties have already given their agreement; it is therefore now essentially an administrative step that must be completed.
What are the other priorities planned for the club?
A fourth pillar concerns the brand. This will naturally be carried by the club’s teams, which will play a central role in its day-to-day activation and development.
How to strengthen and grow the Le Mans FC brandBut it will also be part of a broader vision that we will build with the shareholders, notably with Georgios Frangulis, in order to think about how to strengthen and grow the Le Mans FC brand. The objective is to work on its profile, its identity and its development potential, relying both on the club’s local roots and on opportunities for international visibility and projection.
In reality, OutField’s arrival in Le Mans is no coincidence. Significant preparatory work was carried out jointly with OutField to analyse the market and study a wide range of clubs, including at European level, in order to identify those that best matched their project.
Very quickly, Le Mans emerged as a particularly relevant destination. Firstly because of its history and football culture, but also because of the quality of its infrastructure, particularly the training centre and the stadium.
Le Mans is a global motorsport reference, one of the most prestigious races in the worldThere is also a very strong element: the “Le Mans” brand. It is a brand with an international dimension, associated with powerful storytelling around motorsport. It enjoys far greater recognition than is sometimes imagined in France. Le Mans is immediately a global motorsport reference, one of the most prestigious races in the world, and even a cultural reference — it is also the title of a film.
All of this contributes to the strength of the Le Mans FC brand. Our ambition now is to build on this heritage in order to continue developing and growing it, in line with the three major pillars of the project.
Is OutField moving towards a multi-club ownership model?
I think that is not the issue. They are already shareholders in another club, Coritiba (Brazilian first division). There is a willingness to develop each of the assets on behalf of OutField. Whether there may potentially be synergies, yes. Whether we are dealing with what would be called a classic MCO Multi-club ownership. The case of an investor owning several clubs. , no.
Is Ligue 2 an attractive market for investors?
Ligue 2, certainly one of the best second divisions in EuropeFrench football is the second-largest producer of talent in the world, and the first in Europe.
Therefore Ligue 2 is a competition of a very good standard, certainly one of the best second divisions in Europe, with clubs or brands that are sometimes potentially underexploited. I think that was certainly the idea of the investors in AS Saint-Étienne: from the moment there is an underexploited brand with a quality product, there is an opportunity.
What are Le Mans FC’s medium-term objectives?
The medium-term objectives are to structure the club around the four pillars referred to, so that those pillars can help the club grow step by step.
The objective is not to say: we are going to play in the Champions League next year. The objective is to structure the club from its foundations, that is to say youth development, first-team performance and infrastructure. It is about building step by step so that the club grows, settles steadily in the top half of Ligue 2, and can, within three or four years, be solid enough to fight for promotion to Ligue 1, and perhaps stay there as well.
Does the club have any ambition regarding the Stade Marie-Marvingt (formerly MMArena), currently owned by Le Mans Stadium, a subsidiary of Vinci Concessions?
From the moment our home is our stadium, there are inevitably discussions under way on that subject.
Aymeric Magne
Operating partner @ OutField
Board member @ Le Mans FC
President & founder @ Winger 11 Operating Partner & Advisory
Visit in the directory
Career
Operating partner
Board member
President & founder
CEO (président exécutif & directeur général)
Global Executive MBA - part-time
Director Global Events
CEO LATAM
Director of stadium, arena & major events development
Deputy general affairs & international development
Sports investment advisor / Stadiums & sports equipment project management director
University Diploma Stadium Manager, Director of operations of sports venues
Consultant in management of sports equipment and TV rights
Master in Marketing and Management of Professional Sports
Master in Planning and development of territories - specialization in sports
# 3615, created on 02/05/14 at 13:06 - Updated on 17/03/26 at 15:46
Le Mans FC
Sector: French football professional club
Foundation: 1985 (as ”MUC 72”)
Stadium: Stade Marie-Marvingt (25,000 capacity)
President: Thierry Gomez
Main shareholder: OutField (Brazilian fund)
Category: Professional Clubs
Headquarters address
La Pincenardière72230 Mulsanne France
Visit in the directory
# 1116, created on 06/02/14 at 18:33 - Updated on 19/03/26 at 14:27
To discover all our content, subscribe now
Join our subscriber community by selecting your preferred subscription plan (monthly or annual) or try it for free for 30-day.