Lorient to become the new Strasbourg?
Lorient to become the new Strasbourg? Multi-club ownership is very much in vogue, even if it isn’t entirely popular. FC Lorient have been in such a model, with ties linking them to Bournemouth.
The likes of Romain Faivre and more recently Eli Junior Kroupi have made the move from Brittany to the south coast of England. Those links could be reinforced, as per a report from L’Équipe . There is a great deal of uncertainty at Lorient heading into the summer.
With Les Merlus currently ninth in Ligue 1, following last season’s promotion from Ligue 2, it is a season that has far exceeded expectations. However, change may be coming, with Olivier Pantaloni and his assistant, Yannick Cahuzac, highly likely to depart. Both have contracts that expire in the summer and neither is expected to renew.
Lorient – a ‘laboratory’ for Bournemouth? Further change is expected, with the club on the lookout for a new sporting director. The future of current sporting director, Laurent Koscielny, is uncertain.
CEO Arnaud Tanguy, meanwhile, is set to be replaced by Benoit Muller, who will arrive from Stade Rennais, L’Équipe understands. It comes after American consortium Black Knight Football Club became the club’s sole shareholder back in January, buying shares previously owned by president Loic Fery. BKFC and Bill Foley have a new project: to make the club a “laboratory”, in L’Équipe’s words, just as RC Strasbourg Alsace have become, ever since their takeover from BlueCo, who are also the majority shareholders at Chelsea.