the Arnault family in “exclusive negotiations” to buy the club, the revolution is underway

The revolution is underway. And it will definitely be talked about in the weeks and months to come. With the backdrop of a question that football fans in the capital have been asking for decades. When will there be a second major football club in Paris? Bernard Arnault’s family holding company, Agache, announced Thursday that it was entering “into exclusive negotiations with a view to acquiring a majority stake in Paris FC” (Ligue 2) and that Red Bull was “also entered into negotiations for the acquisition of a minority stake”.

The Arnault family should initially hold 55% of the club and Red Bull 15%, according to a source close to the matter. The president of the PFC since 2012, businessman Pierre Ferracci, 72, would keep 30% of the capital before selling his shares in 2027 to the Arnault family, which would then own 85% of the club, according to these same sources.

“With the arrival of Agache as majority shareholder of the club, the club will change dimension and aim for new successes”according to the press release. The holding company “intends to gradually bring the men’s team back into the elite of men’s football” with “the same ambition” for the women’s team, which already plays in the first division.

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« With our support, as well as that of our partner Red Bull, we are confident that, gradually, we will write a beautiful page in French football together, without setting specific objectives at this stage. Sport sometimes holds many surprises! »

Antoine Arnault, future representative of Agache on the Board of Directors of Paris FC

Elle “will rely on existing teams” and the president of Paris FC Pierre Ferracci, it is specified. “With our support, as well as the valuable support of our partner Red Bull, we are confident that, gradually, we will write together a beautiful page in French football, without setting specific objectives at this stage. Sport sometimes holds many surprises!”declares Antoine Arnault, future representative of Agache within the Board of Directors of Paris FC, quoted in the press release,

“Paris and the Île de France constitute a pool of exceptional talents in football who must train and grow first in a club in their region (…). We look forward to helping attract more female and male talents who will boost the performance of the teams” adds Oliver Mintzlaff, Red Bull general manager in charge of projects and investments, also cited in the press release.

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Compete with Paris SG?

This acquisition could ultimately lead to the presence of a second Parisian club among the elite of French football, alongside Paris Saint-Germain.

The Red Bull group controls several football clubs around the world, including RB Leipzig in Germany. Agache will bring “all its know-how in terms of economic development and brand influence over the long term” et Red Bull “will intervene mainly in the sporting dimension in an advisory role, whether this involves strengthening the detection of young talents capable of joining the training center or targeting the best profiles capable of strengthening the competitiveness of the first men’s and women”according to the press release.

“Subject to finalization of the legal documentation, this project remains subject to the representative bodies of Paris FC staff and to the approval of the professional club control commission of the National Management Control Department (DNCG)”it is added. With the arrival of the Arnault family at Paris FC, in partnership with Red Bull, which has just appointed Jürgen Klopp as the new football boss within the group, the ambitions are high.