Bill Foley downplays Lorient-Bournemouth multi-club fears

Q: What are the concerns about multi-club ownership involving FC Lorient and Bournemouth?

Concerns center around the potential loss of talent, as seen with Eli Junior Kroupi moving from Lorient to Bournemouth, and general opposition from fans regarding shared ownership.

Q: Who is Bill Foley and what role does he play in FC Lorient's ownership?

Bill Foley is the owner of Black Knight Football Club, which became the main shareholder of FC Lorient, managing the club's operations under the multi-club model.

Q: What has been the fan reaction to Bill Foley's ownership of FC Lorient?

Some fans have expressed strong opposition, as evidenced by a banner against Foley displayed during matches, reflecting concerns about the implications of multi-club ownership.

Bill Foley downplays Lorient-Bournemouth multi-club fears

TL;DR

Bill Foley addresses concerns over multi-club ownership involving FC Lorient and AFC Bournemouth, emphasizing that such models are common in Ligue 1. He aims to reassure fans amid opposition and fears of losing talent to other clubs within the same ownership group.

Bill Foley downplays Lorient-Bournemouth multi-club fears

Multi-club ownership is very much in fashion, especially in Ligue 1. It isn’t a phenomenon without resistance, however. A section of RC Strasbourg Alsace’s fanbase are veciferous in their opposition to BlueCo, who also own Chelsea.

FC Lorient find themselves in a multi-club model, too. Black Knight Football Club (BKFC) already had a share in the Breton club, but earlier this season, they became the main shareholder. There has been some opposition, with a banner opposing owner Bill Foley present in the stands.

Given the model at Strasbourg, there is fear at the Moustoir, only accentuated when they lost their biggest talent, Eli Junior Kroupi, to fellow-BKFC-owned club AFC Bournemouth. However, speaking in an interview with **L’Équipe,**Foley has sought to allay those concerns.

*“We aren’t some horrible Americans who want to break everything,”*began Foley. *“Lorient isn’t a satellite club to Bournemouth. I don’t like that expression. It isn’t my vision,”*added the Bournemouth and Lorient owner.

“In my mind, they are equals… maybe not in terms of revenue, but Lorient exists on its own as an important partner in our model,” added Foley. The American also announced European ambitions during his interview with L’Équipeand said that there would be the necessary investment in order to achieve their goal. This season, following promotion from Ligue 2, Les Merlusare ninth in Ligue 1 with five games remaining.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle

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