Marc Keller’s quiet grip on Strasbourg as BlueCo era reshapes the club | OneFootball

Under fire since selling Strasbourg to BlueCo on 22 June 2023, Marc Keller has remained publicly discreet yet highly active behind the scenes, focused on long-term building.

From his office overlooking the training pitches, he is turning to his next project after championing the Meinau’s renovation, a 10-year effort costing 185 M€. L'Équipe reports that his attention now shifts to the first-team centre.

After 6 M€ went into the pitches in 2020, plans budget 11 to 15 M€, before tax, to replace temporary units with permanent two-storey buildings and expand from 1,800 to 3,000 m2. Completion is targeted for July 2027, then the academy over two or three years.

The 58-year-old former France international, capped six times between 1995 and 1998, blends academic training with business experience and keeps a tight inner circle. Alain Plet oversees the training-centre rebuild alongside deputy CEOs Nicolas Arndt, who returned from PSG in October 2024, and Matthieu Deroussent.

Keller’s low-key style has not shielded him from a vocal section of supporters opposed to multi-ownership. He argues the sale was a choice, not a necessity, saying the club had reached a glass ceiling after Covid and TV income fell from 25 to 6 M€.

On matchdays he still mingles with fans, while at board level the Meinau’s revenue is set to jump from 25 to 45 M€ this season, and naming is not an option. BlueCo kept him in post and offered a very long accompaniment clause, which he declined to retain freedom.

Operational control remains his, though sporting calls can be imposed, as seen with Liam Rosenior’s departure to Chelsea on 6 January. He says he held veto power and selected Gary O’Neil from three finalists.

Rooted in Alsace, Keller was made a Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur by Arsène Wenger on 12 November 2024. He sits on the LFP board of seven and, after a decade on the FFF executive, has worked on a professional L3 while stepping back from youth-team duties for lack of time.

Source: L'Équipe