This season, the battle for the rise in Ligue 1 is raging. Due to the four direct descents in League 2, only two clubs in the antechamber of the elite will be promoted at the end of the season. So no barriers. A scenario that makes the fight even more difficult. And this weekend, a duel at the top in this battle for the climb was looming. Third of ranking (30 points) two points behind second place, Sochaux is supposed to host the Stade Malherbe de Caen this Saturday, January 14 at 3 p.m. But yesterday, the SMC announced tragic news. ” “It is with great sadness that the Stade Malherbe Caen learned today of the disappearance of Armelle Moulin, wife of Stéphane Moulin, coach of the professional team. The thoughts of President Olivier Pickeu and Pierre-Antoine Capton, shareholders, all employees and volunteers of the club go to the family and loved ones. At this difficult time, Stade Malherbe Caen is more united than ever behind its coach and its children.. Mourning, the SMC had then asked to postpone the meeting to a later date, the funeral of Ms. Moulin taking place the same day.
To everyone’s surprise, Sochaux announced this morning that it could not satisfy this urgent request and that the meeting was going to be held as planned next Saturday. “FC Sochaux-Montbéliard learned on Wednesday with great sadness of the disappearance of Armelle Moulin, the wife of Stéphane Moulin, coach of Stade Malherbe Caen. The entire FCSM sympathizes with the immense pain felt by Stéphane Moulin and his loved ones. He would have liked to be able to respond to SM Caen’s request to change the day or the time of the meeting of the 19th day of Ligue 2 BKT between the two teams. Faced with the need to very quickly have to agree on a new program and in view of what this entails in terms of organization (and in particular the difficulty in mobilizing the appropriate control and security personnel), the FCSM unfortunately had to resolve to have the match played on Saturday January 14 at 3 p.m. Samuel Laurent, General Manager of FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, spoke on this subject with Olivier Pickeu, President of SM Caen, and suggested that a minute of silence in memory of Madame Armelle Moulin be observed by Stade Auguste Bonal before the kick-off of the meeting.
Sochaux leaves a door open
A doubist response which then provoked a wave of indignation, because The Team indicated that the League as well as bein Sports (broadcaster of the meeting) had accepted the request from Caen. Co-owner of the Norman club, Pierre-Antoine Capton had thus loaded his Sochaux counterparts on social networks. “Football is first and foremost a game. Clubs are families. Unfortunately, as long as some forget it, we will continue to see pathetic behavior. Thank you for the support of all the other Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs for the LFP and beIN Sports”. An anger that has not subsided since The Team added this evening that the SMC, which has refused to speak publicly, has made it known that it will not go to Sochaux on Saturday. For the Caennais, the deal is simple: everyone will be alongside Stéphane Moulin and not Bonal.
Faced with the controversy, the Doubiste club finally came out of silence a second time to try to explain its refusal through its general manager Samuel Laurent. “There is no enmity between Caen and FC Sochaux. That being said, Caen have informed us of a request for a postponement of the match. I think the whole staff wanted to pay a last tribute to the coach’s wife. They came up with three dates, Friday, Sunday at 3 p.m. or Monday at 8:45 p.m. For us, it is impossible to change the match schedule at such short notice. It’s just not possible.”, he said, adding that a postponement would generate significant additional costs. Not sure that this financial justification passes in his moments of mourning, but Samuel Laurent nevertheless left an open door: “We have commitments with Yverdon (for a friendly match on Friday January 20, editor’s note), if we cancel it for a meeting with Caen, we will explain it with Yverdon, that’s all. It will suit us, if we are warned in time. » Will common sense eventually prevail?
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