Roland Romeyer, president who has become emblematic of AS Saint-Étienne, has always embodied passion and devotion to the Greens. Arriving in 2004, he established himself as a key player in the day-to-day management of the club, successively assuming the roles of co-president, then chairman of the board. This summer, when he had just sold his shares in KSV, Roland Romeyer had a big scare!
Under his governance, and that of Bernard Caïazzo, ASSE has regained a certain sporting and economic stability, marked in particular by the victory in the League Cup in 2013, a first for the club since 1981. Over the years, Roland Romeyer has become a symbol of the visceral attachment to the Saint-Etienne soul, marked in particular by his tattoos bearing the image of the club.
In June 2024, after two decades of good and loyal service, Roland Romeyer turned the page by selling his shares to the Canadian group Kilmer Sports Ventures. This sale marked the end of an era for ASSE, which now aspires to become part of a more international dimension. “A page that has turned for me, falling into the Cauldron in 1957”he confided with emotion to L’Equipe. This transfer of power had been planned for a long time, Romeyer having expressed his desire to see the club continue to evolve in a modern vision while retaining its roots.
Roland Romeyer saved by his daughter
But the summer of 2024 was far from easy for the former leader. Two months after leaving office, Roland Romeyer suffered a serious heart attack. “If I had been on a bike, I would have died”believes this cycling enthusiast. Fortunately, the incident occurred at his home, and the intervention of his daughter, Cécile Romeyer-Bouchard, renowned cardiologist at the CHU Hôpital Nord in Saint-Priest-en-Jarez, saved his life. She operated on him urgently, allowing his heart to continue beating for his family and for the Greens.
-Since then, Roland Romeyer has regained his strength and rediscovered his passion for cycling, getting back in the saddle in mid-September. Equipped with stents, he displays new energy, even if his club-related activities have changed significantly. Today a simple spectator, he left the presidential chair to settle discreetly in the official Pierre-Faurand stand, where he found refuge under the roof, on the third floor, in the corner of the Magic Fans kop.
Nevertheless, Roland Romeyer maintains strong links with ASSE. Still president of the Musée des Verts and of ASSE Cœur Vert, the civic association he founded in 2011, he continues to work for causes that are close to his heart. “It corresponds better to my values than to those of today’s football, which I haven’t found myself in for years”he confides.
For Roland Romeyer, this year marks both the end of a reign and the beginning of a new life, more peaceful but still inhabited by the love of the Greens. An unshakeable love, which pulses in his now brand new heart!
