At first glance, the news seems like a godsend for French football. The Arnault family, the largest fortune in France and fifth in the world (190 billion euros according to Challenges magazine), has decided according to L’Equipe to establish itself in the landscape with the takeover of Paris FC. The deal has not yet been finalized, but there is talk of a repurchase of 55% of the shares initially, to which will be added the last 30% of the current majority shareholder Pierre Ferracci by 2027. The family of the president of the LVMH group also arrives with the support of Red Bull, whose expertise in the detection and post-training of players is no longer in doubt – if not exempt from all reproach.
The Austrian company, owner of six clubs, has notably made Leipzig a stronghold of German football, competing in the Champions League almost every year. She has also just struck a major blow by convincing Jurgen Klopp to become her “head of football”. The combination of financial resources and know-how, in this gigantic breeding ground that constitutes Ile-de-France, is exciting on paper. Nor is it without questions.
Why this investment on the part of the Arnault family?
The family fortune is not new, and yet, before 2024, LVMH or one of its subsidiaries had never ventured into the world of sport. The Paris Olympics marked a turning point, with the signing of a premium partnership estimated at 150 million euros. At the same time, the group formalized its arrival in Formula 1, as a “global partner” for the next ten years. The takeover of Paris FC would therefore only be the next step in a new strategy.
“We should perhaps see the growing influence of Bernard Arnault’s children, who seem more inclined to this type of investment,” believes Christophe Lepetit, head of economic studies at the center for sports law and economics ( CDES). Likewise, the first elements that have come out indicate a desire to reconnect the family/group with a slightly wider audience. »
Antoine Arnault in the stands of the Parc des Princes during PSG-Lens, April 15, 2023. – JP Pariente
The five children Arnault, Delphine, Antoine, Alexandre, Frédéric and Jean, are in fact slowly taking over from the patriarch, 75 years old, and intend to explore new playing fields. This deal was negotiated by Antoine and Frédéric, very sports fans, the first even being a frequent visitor to the Parc des Princes. This investment, which will be made via a family holding company and not the LVMH group, is not intended to make money. It’s more a story of opportunity and image.
“The club’s objective, which aims to climb and then establish itself sustainably in L1, before why not having more ambitions, will require resources even though the club is already not profitable today, analyzes the economist. But this choice can be explained by the popularity of football and by the image of Paris, which fits very well with that of the brand, French luxury. » A niche also invested by PSG since the arrival of QSI, and from which it will nevertheless be necessary to succeed in standing out.
What is the point of partnering with Red Bull?
This acquisition is a golden opportunity for the energy drink brand. By taking 15% of this Ligue 2 club, it offers itself, for “a limited entry cost”, a central place within “the main breeding ground of world football”, notes Christophe Lepetit. Red Bull will only have to bend down to make its market in Ile-de-France, a region which was home to 10% of the players playing in the five major European championships. Important condition for it to work, all the same: develop reception infrastructures worthy of the name.
For the Arnault family, whose experience in the world of sport is recent and therefore limited, the skills of Red Bull, reinforced by the resounding arrival of former Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp, constitute a major asset. The CDES economist sums up: “There are great prospects, the ambition is there but climbing the ladder to the top takes time. The PFC will therefore have to reach L1 and then settle there permanently. It will be necessary to create and develop a real training center and continue to aim for excellence with women. Likewise, the stadium problem is a major subject. »
The stadium: Charléty tired, Jean-Bouin as an alternative?
Paris FC currently plays its matches at Charléty (Paris 13th). A stadium that no one likes in its current configuration, with its drafts and its athletics track more inclined to host a world record by Armand Duplantis than a Champions League match. According to L’Equipe, Ferracci dreams of Jean-Bouin from next year, whether in Ligue 1 or Ligue 2. A temporary transition on which it will be necessary to agree with the Stade français and PSG (the Parc is 100 meters away), before possibly finding a renovated Charléty (a modernization project was to be presented to Paris City Hall at the start of the school year).
The 13th arrondissement enclosure has many faults but is the only one to respect the territorial anchoring of the PFC. A move to the Parc des Princes, even if it were deserted by PSG, is not on the cards. Despite the logistical temptation, there are risks in laying your foundations on an Indian cemetery.
What identity to stand out from PSG?
The sea serpent of the rivalry between two Parisian clubs within the elite of French football has until now remained at the stage of an insoluble equation. In the 1980s, Jean-Luc Lagardère had a good go with Matra Racing, in the process buying the first team of Paris FC and signing a bunch of stars. But he had failed to create enthusiasm around the club: 10,000 spectators on average was too few, especially to compete with PSG. The success of Arnault and Red Bull’s Paris FC will first begin with a rise to L1, but will only stand the test of time by cultivating its own identity. In this area, the club chaired by Pierre Ferracci is a long way behind Red Star, historically working-class and popular.
But there is something to dig into in south-eastern Paris, from the 13th arrondissement to Porte de Montreuil (20th) and its Déjérine stadium, where the first team played in the past. “It’s a club that represents the city of Paris, first a pre-trainer and now a trainer of young players,” describes the spokesperson for the Ultras Lutetia group, based in Nation. The club cultivates a certain closeness with its supporters, we must maintain that. To attract people, the club launched the movement by making the stadium free, a measure in total opposition to what is happening in current football. » The idea will not survive the rise to Ligue 1, but will have had the merit of attracting less well-off populations to the stands.
It is also possible that these questions will be brushed aside by the Red Bull brand, and that it will accommodate the lack of a strong identity of Paris FC. This would not be a first: RB Leipzig was built on an amateur club from the region, SSV Markanstädt, as well as Red Bull Bragantino in Brazil, from CA Bragantino, whose main feat of arms was a “title” of vice-champion in 1991 before being taken over by the Austrian giant. Land conducive to naming and a threat in the eyes of Lutetia’s spokesperson. “We don’t want multiple ownership, we hope that the arrival of Red Bull will not lead to a change of name of the group. We don’t want to lose our identity, and that’s where we’re going to have to take precautions to calm investors. »
