Le Mans FC’s rapid rise, big-name backers and a model likened to Como | OneFootball

Le Mans FC have surged back to Ligue one after two successive promotions, backed by investors Novak Djokovic, Felipe Massa, Kevin Magnussen and Thibaut Courtois. The project has drawn parallels with Wrexham and Como.

They won 2-0 at already relegated Bastia on the final day, the match abandoned in the 91st minute after flares and smoke bombs, then confirmation arrived days later. “We want to build something meaningful,” said investor and operating partner Georgios Frangulis. “My main idea is, and it was from the beginning, is to make sure that Le Mans Football Club can be a big brand in the world of sports,” he told The Athletic.

Their first top-flight season since 2009-10 follows a takeover by Brazilian firm OutField and Frangulis nine months earlier. The new owners had planned to consolidate in Ligue two, then push for promotion within three years.

Le Mans appealed for stable finances under president Thierry Gomez and a location one hour by train from Paris. The club play beside the Circuit de la Sarthe, home to the Le Mans 24-hour race.

Frangulis brought Massa and Magnussen in alongside Djokovic, and in February Courtois invested via NxtPlay Capital.

The owners aim to rebuild an academy scrapped in 2013 after bankruptcy, target top-10 status within three years and upgrade first-team facilities. Recruitment focuses on the Paris area and west Africa, reflecting links to Ivory Coast.

“It’s a big, big job,” said lead investor Pedro Oliveira. “We won’t take it for granted.”

Source: NY Times