Stade Malherbe Caen made the announcement official, after having announced it internally to its employees. Two years after its descent into L2, the club is living beyond its means in a very delicate context, with truncated TV rights and sales of players stopped.
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The time has come for restructuring, in many clubs, after relegation. And the alert from the DNCG, even before the takeover of the SMC by Oaktree and Pierre-Antoine Capton, left no real doubt about the choices and changes necessary for “the survival of the club” in 2021.
A bubble ready to burst and a club at the foot of the wall
Football observers have been predicting it for a few years: the speculative bubble in pro football is ready to burst. While the professional world of the French round ball trembles since the disengagement of Médiapro and the hazardous choices of the former presidency of the LFP, the health crisis and the empty ticket offices of the clubs have come to add big cash difficulties everywhere. Added to this is the transfer market which is almost at a standstill this summer and even more so this winter.
A context valid for all which adds to another big problem for the Stade Malherbe Caen: the virtual certainty since last Saturday (and a disappointing match against Rodez), of not being able to play the climb again this year. Going back to Ligue 1 would mean gaining more TV rights.
However, to start a third season in Ligue 2 is another challenge. First, the shock to be absorbed is so predictable for the relegated clubs, that compensation mechanisms are planned by the French Football Federation.
But they are only given for a time (two years) and stop next June.
So many warning signs that brought the Stade Malherbe Caen to the wall. For weeks, employees feared the deadline. But we are there: the club no longer has the means to continue to live as in the days of the heyday of Ligue 1. We must “reorganize.” And as often, the cuts are made first in the administrative and support services.
This Monday, January 25, 2021, club employees were warned of the opening of a PSE, a Job Protection Plan. About twenty positions would be eliminated.
This new organization involves the necessary changes, modifications and job cuts that will allow Stade Malherbe Caen to continue its activities with confidence. The club will ensure its commitments to its employees and will do everything to ensure that everyone can find the project that suits them. SMC press release on announced ESP
???? Press release @SMCaen. #SMCaen #TeamSMC https://t.co/zKVXv8jKia
– Stade Malherbe Caen???????? (@SMCaen) January 25, 2021
What services will be affected? The administration, the marketing department, the ticket office, the shop, the training center (nugget of the club, it is in the French top 10)? Discussions with staff representatives are only just beginning.
Ouest-France understands that the structural deficit is around 15 million euros, in the current state of affairs. With too much payroll. “According to our information, in 2019 (last year in Ligue 1), these costs had reached a record level of 42 million euros, including 28 million for gross personnel costs. Today, the costs of structures would be of around 27 million euros, including 12 million of net personnel costs “, explains the regional daily.
Thus players at the end of their contract soon or young people under contract with no prospects could be shown the exit door.
The next contracts of “professional trainees”, the first step before the holy grail at the end of training, will certainly be even more difficult to obtain for the candidates.
Players asked to help the club
This January 26, the day after the “shock”, the players were officially received to start a discussion, while the atmosphere is not necessarily good.
Their contracts protect them, but everyone knows today that discussions are inevitable in a world where the speculative bubble is on the verge of exploding.
“The reorganization project affects the whole club. For the moment we are starting a union discussion with the players since there has been no branch agreement. The UNFP, the national union of professional players encourage the clubs to this dialogue. We will explain the situation to them and hear what can be done today at their level. “, explains Arnaud Tanguy, the financial director of Stade Malherbe Caen.
A delicate moment for the financial director of Stade Malherbe Caen, himself a former player of the club.
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© Claude Leloche / France Televisions
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We’re going to have an open discussion. I can’t predict what will come out of it. For the players, there are salaries but not only. Sometimes there are variable bonuses or match bonuses. We need to discuss to see to what extent the players can also contribute and help the club in this difficult period.
The second part of the season has only just begun. We can already guess that there will be big changes before the summer.
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