2023-06-06 10:20:59
DFCO president Olivier Delcourt gave a press conference in Dijon on Tuesday June 6, four days after the club fell to National, relegated at the end of the Ligue 2 season.
What future for the DFCO? Last weekend, the Dijon club experienced its greatest disappointment in almost 20 years: the fall in National (third division) after the final defeat of the season (1-0 in Le Havre). The last time the Reds played in the Third Division was 19 seasons ago, in 2004, when the club were still climbing through the ranks since their inception in 1998.
► READ ALSO: Descent into the National of the DFCO: “it’s not a surprise!”
This Tuesday, June 6, the president of the DFCO Olivier Delcourt therefore held a press conference to discuss the future of the club. Here’s what to remember.
Olivier Delcourt : “The coin fell on the wrong side. I thank Pascal Dupraz and his team. We did not succeed, but we tried everything to the end. People like criticism. History will never know if it It was too early, too late… We had agreed with Pascal for his arrival 9 games from the end. Pascal still took 16 points in 9 games. If we prorate the season, we would be almost playing the climb.
What matters is to raise your head, to unite with everyone, the living forces, the supporters of whom I think a lot. I know a lot of people are attached to the club.”
Olivier Delcourt : “He left the day after the match, he had a wedding, and I haven’t seen him since. We had time to talk at the stadium, but we have to remember. Anyway, he was in contract until the end of the season.”
O.D : “It will be examined tomorrow by the stadium commission, June 7. What happened was not one person, it was 1,000 people who invaded the pitch. There is no had any injuries, but it was a bit of a panic and I decided with the referee not to resume the match. Especially since before, there were already one, two or even three people who had entered the area game. And when we found out what had happened in Bordeaux, there was no question of resuming the game.
Today, I hope for nothing at all. We will see the decision of the commission and depending on what it decides, we will follow up or not.
O.D : “We are not preparing for a descent in National. I could never have imagined it. Afterwards, you always have to integrate the risk, but honestly, never, never would I have thought of it. Last year, we had the 2nd Ligue 2 budget, this year the 3rd or 4th… We had everything to succeed, unfortunately it didn’t.
With Omar Daf, whom we chose, everyone was confident. Unfortunately, it quickly went away. I think we fell asleep. Regularly, I spoke with Omar who said to me: “Don’t worry president, we will maintain ourselves.” It’s always been my philosophy to trust, but it’s also sometimes my mistake.
Do I regret changing coaches so late? We will never know. My life is not made of regrets.”
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O.D : “For me, it’s a succession of things. When we went down from Ligue 1 to Ligue 2, in December, we all knew it would be very complicated. Many players were not in the mentality, in the spirit of the club. That was not the case this season and the previous season, with a lot of players mobilized, who fought until the end. Afterwards, it was a succession of bad choices, and above all a succession of choice of the last season in Ligue 1 with players that we had signed until now, and it is clear that it was not the best thing.”
O.D : “We must restructure the club. I announced it in February. I opened the door for investors or potential buyers to be able to give a dynamic. Today, the economic model of the DFCO, with a president and chief he company like me with limited resources has to deal with today’s football, which requires much greater financial resources to achieve objectives.
It has nothing to do with when I arrived 11 years ago. It was not at all the same budgets. There have been significant investments. There was Médiapro, which was to make us receive 30 million euros in TV rights in Ligue 1. In the end, we received 17 million and we ended up positive 1 million. All this had convinced me to launch the training center for the pros and the training center as well. With Médiapro and TV rights, the reimbursement of the structure had to pass easily.
Now, my duty is to do what is necessary to ensure the sustainability of the club. Today, there is everything the club needs to play at the highest level. So yes, you have to put in the money, that’s for sure. But money is not the driving force and I have never asked for crazy sums to sell the club, as I have read. The engine is the project. It is not to pass the club on to people who will put money in so that there is nothing left in 6 months or 1 year.”
Olivier Delcourt : “I will not mention the amount, it is very confidential. There are discussions which are well advanced, with several candidates, French but rather foreign capital. But if there are no buyers at the return, I will still be president next season.
We are also in discussion with the mayor of Dijon (François Rebsamen), because there is no question of making decisions without him.”
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O.D : “I have to meet some players in the next few days. The players on loan have gone back to their club. Those who are at the end of their contract, I will see them to discuss with them.
Those who are still under contract, if they want to leave because they do not see themselves playing in the National, I have no problem with that. Now they have also contributed to this failure. So, if they want to leave, the club has to meet there.
When a club no longer wants a player or a coach, it must pay him his fees until the end of his contract. So that a club lets a player leave before the end of his contract without asking anything, there is no question of it.”
O.D : “Already, what does not lose value are the club’s infrastructure. It represents 25 million euros. Today, you would like to redo a building like ours, you would pay 30 million euros. is the advantage compared to other clubs who would have nothing: we have everything.For me, that is our strength, and the know-how of our employees.
We also have a training center that is running well and the objective is also to rely on it to have a team from our center.”
Olivier Delcourt : “There is no rush to sell the club. I will certainly not abandon ship, but I have been president for 11 years and 11 years of presidency, it wears out his man. I feel the need to transmit and I want that, if there is a buyer, he can work freely on the choice of the coach and the team. Afterwards, we also have to plan things so we are working a lot on next season. We is not going to end up starting the championship with nothing at all.”
O.D : “The DFCO women have had a complicated season but they have managed to hold their own. I would really like us to find additional sponsors, because they really deserve it. It’s a great showcase for the club and for the city. In any case, the girls will not pay at all the price of the descent to the National.”
O.D : “There are aids for the descent. We are having a lot of bad luck. When we went down to Ligue 2, apart from the regulatory financial aid, we did not have any supplement, unlike other clubs which have received significant amounts. So I wrote to Vincent Labrune a few weeks ago, and I am awaiting a response to this letter.
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