“A fiasco”, “A shame”… The reactions are unanimous after the cancellation of the Tours – Lorient match. For several years, Tours FC has gone through painful and destructive episodes. We knew that the sky and black club had descended very low, sometimes even surprising by its “inventiveness” in its decadence. But there…
Saturday December 21, with the cancellation of the Coupe de France poster, barely five hours before the scheduled kick-off at 6 p.m., the emblematic Touraine club has certainly done more than hit rock bottom. This 32e The Cup final was to be a popular celebration bringing together between 8,000 and 10,000 spectators in the Cher Valley. This turned into a surreal shipwreck which brought to light the critical situation in which the club had sunk, a little more, since the summer.
Promises and sporting momentum…
After the sale of the SASP TFC (professional sports limited company, the “professional” part of the club) by Jean-Marc Ettori to the Belgian Ivan Desmet, there were announcements. Particularly during a press point held by the new owner on Friday August 23.
There was, also and above all, a human and sporting momentum carried on a daily basis by Ibrahim Hakaoui, the newly inducted general manager, and by Bryan Bergougnoux and his players. Leader of Regional 1, on a series of fourteen consecutive successes (all competitions), the team now led by the former darling player of the Vallée du Cher shines and has given hope to the most fervent supporters.
A window that was shattered
But we had felt this window cracking a little since October. The words (and the evils) were then contained, stifled. The window was completely shattered on Saturday. The organizational problems of the security service, which led the French Football Federation (FFF), in conjunction with the Indre-et-Loire prefecture, to cancel the meeting, ultimately result from a completely lunar overall management.
An enigmatic duo: Ivan Desmet and Hacène Haddad
It is the work of a duo ultimately as enigmatic as a few weeks ago: Ivan Desmet, the Belgian investor, and his trusted man in Touraine, Hacène Haddad.
The first appears, according to several of our interlocutors, as “above ground”, “disconnected” or « absent ». Arriving in Touraine on Saturday during the day, he did not go to the stadium in the middle of the crisis… (1)
The second has no official role in the club's organization chart but validates all strategic decisions, with control over the finances. Legitimate control on the part of the new owner… except that it led to Saturday's grotesque fiasco.
No cash flow, unpaid or late salaries
And above all, the initial promises to quickly inject money have not yet been kept. Several interlocutors speak of “funds blocked in Asia”without really knowing more.
Due to a lack of cash, Tours FC has been living, for several weeks, « a sick person »to use the words of Bryan Bergougnoux: unpaid or late salaries, daily tinkering… The Touraine coach will not say it, but several sources have told us that he does not hesitate to use his personal money to compensate shortages. Furthermore, at least two former employees have still not received their balance from any account.
This therefore casts a thick veil over the future of the TFC. On January 16, the Touraine SASP is expected before the Orléans commercial court, appealing the judicial liquidation pronounced on June 25.
It remains to be seen whether Saturday's “fiasco” was not ultimately an “obituary notice” just before its time.
(1) We have been trying to contact Ivan Desmet since Saturday. Twice, he responded to us briefly, affable and polite, promising us a longer interview once he had resolved his crisis meetings with his lawyers… Still no news this Sunday, December 22 at 7 p.m.
