Ligue 2: Under tension, a major club ready to be sold

In the midst of the fight for maintenance, a Ligue 2 club is preparing to experience a decisive week. An internal departure and sporting uncertainties, behind the scenes the lines are shifting, with a president who no longer closes the door to a major change.

The context is heavy. Sportingly, the situation remains fragile with a play-off place and constant pressure approaching the end of the season. Internally, the recent departure of the sports director marks a rupture. And in the background, a question comes back insistently: that of the future of the club and its governance. This club is the Amiens SC!

In fact, it is an understatement to say that the week ahead looks eventful for the Picard club, which travels to Rodez to face Bastia behind closed doors, a decisive match in the fight for maintenance. This meeting will also be the first without John Williams, the former sports director who has joined Servette FC in Switzerland. This departure marks an important step for ASC, which must now look for a successor to lead its sports policy. Bernard Joannin, president since 2009, remains discreet about the avenues considered but insists on the need to anticipate the club’s future. The last opponent of the season for ASSE is already looking into the future!

A historic presidency and a possible sale

Bernard Joannin is approaching his 17th year at the helm of Amiens SC. At 76 years old, he is considering the transfer of the club, preferring a local takeover to preserve the Amiens identity. He recalls, in Le Courrier Picard, having rejected an offer of 60 million euros during the Ligue 1 period, to ensure that future investors are linked to the city.

This offer came from John Williams, supported by Anglo-Saxon investors. “When we were in Ligue 1, while I was on vacation in Italy, I was offered 60 million to buy the club and I refused in exactly two minutes. […] I am for local investors representing the city, not people who come and transform everything.”

Persistent financial and sporting questions for Amiens

Today, he acknowledges that the question of the sale is more relevant than ever. “I do not know when, and that is why I must plan for the future and I am planning for it. If these things must happen, they will, but in a way that the supporters and lovers of the club benefit. In any case, money has never been my motive and I believe I have proven it,” he explains. However, he emphasizes a central criterion. Supporters and lovers of the club must benefit from it.

Beyond the transfer, several questions remain. The club faces a structural deficit filled by transfers or personal contributions from Joannin. TV rights for Ligue 2 next season will be very low, limited to 700,000 euros, complicating the club’s financial future. Sportingly, ASC is currently in a play-off position and could be relegated to the National division.