Posted on November 9, 2021 at 3:30 p.m. by Arthur Montagne Although the process of selling ASSE has been launched since April, Bernard Caïazzo and Roland Romeyer, who refuse the prospect of selling their shares at a discount, could redo the coup of 2018, by finally refusing the sale of the club. The sale of AS Saint-Etienne has accelerated in recent hours. And for good reason, KPMG , the audit firm mandated by the ASSE to dissect all the applications, had closed access to the Data Room last week, and set this Monday as the deadline for submitting an offer. And several projects are in the running. “Several offers have in fact been received by KPMG, which is studying them carefully”, specifies through a press release distributed by Patrick Chêne's communication agency commissioned by AS Saint-Etienne , before adding that these offers “are the subject of rigorous classic checks in this type of operation (credibility of commitments, origin of funds, etc.). KPMG will select the best offers for the club to avoid any mishap. The shareholders will be very attentive to the formal commitments of the candidates to allow the club to nurture great sporting ambitions. The identity of the candidates has not been revealed, but one thing is certain, Norodom Ravichak is no longer in the race. The Prince of Cambodia has “provided a document of financial guarantee of 100 million euros from a large international bank, which turns out to be a forgery”, as explained by the ASSE by the through a press release. And although he expressed “his astonishment at the accusations brought against him”, Norodom Ravichak will not be the future buyer of the Greens. Moreover, the successor of Roland Romeyer and Bernard Caïazzo is perhaps still far from being known. According to information from L'Equipe, at least three projects are underway, namely that of Olivier Markarian , another supported by a Swiss fund which relies on Mathieu Bodmer and Jean-Michel Roussier and at least a third additional whose details have not been leaked. However, taking into account the sporting situation of ASSE , 19th in Ligue 1 and who has just snatched his first victory of the season against Clermont (3-2), the club owners would be forced to give up their share at a price well below € 60m initially expected. However, a discount sale is formally excluded by Roland Romeyer and Bernard Caïazzo . Consequently, this situation pushes L'Equipe to reveal the scenario which is taking shape, namely that, except for a fantastic offer, which seems unlikely, the sale of ASSE could be postponed. From there, two options emerge. The first would be to hope for a rapid recovery in the sporting situation and therefore to ensure the maintenance of the club in order to increase the selling price. Risky strategy given the fact that at least five players will play the CAN this winter, and not the least. Denis Bouanga (Gabon), Wahbi Khazri (Tunisia), Saïdou Sow (Guinea), Harold Moukoudi and < strong> Yvan Neyou (Cameroon), or even Madhi Camara , courted by Gambia and Zaydou Youssouf , by Comoros, will therefore miss several matches. And ASSE 's finances will not allow the market to go crazy in January. The second option would be to wait until the end of the season since 17 players, including the highest salaries, see their contracts expire which will allow ASSE to save money. But above all, the LFP could have created its commercial company capable of injecting between 1.2 and 1.5 billion euros in the accounts of professional clubs. This would offset the losses due to the Mediapro fiasco. A breath of fresh air for many Ligue 1 clubs, including ASSE . This could therefore completely change the plans of Roland Romeyer and Bernard Caïazzo who, as in 2018 when Peak6 offered 80M €, could decide to keep the club. 
The commercial company created by the LFP could change everything
Mercato | Mercato – ASSE: The LFP at the origin of a thunderclap for the sale of the club?
