What will become of the Moselle Open? Eric Lucas speaks this Friday on France Bleu Lorraine. This shareholder, former president of the Moselle Open, affirms that the establishment in Metz of the ATP 250 tournament, one of only four in France, could be threatened : “Once again, buyers have emerged, with a protocol that has been signed. Without reaction from us, the tournament would take another destiny”.
“We don’t sell family jewels”
As in 2016, when the tournament experienced financial difficulties and risked ending up in Taipei (Taiwan), he believes that its sustainability is threatened. A risk of leaving Metz, or even the Moselle? In any case, he decided to react and announced it to France Bleu this Friday: “The protocol provides that when there is a majority of shareholders who decide to sell, they can do so. On the other hand, we leave the leisure, even to shareholders who are in the minority, to be able to buy back. But not a piece , the totality”.
Eric Lucas clarifies: “We are going to exercise what is provided for in the statutes, the right of pre-emption, so that the tournament remains and remains in the state it is today. We are not selling the family jewels. It is a tournament that is in Metz, there are only 65 professional tournament dates in the world. Metz is lucky to have a date when all the capitals of the world do not have one. It’s quite incredible to have this tournament in Metz, losing it would be unfortunate for our territory”.
public money
According to another local actor, a relocation of the tournament to Amnéville is one of the options. Eric Lucas refuses to enter into this debate: “Communities have always supported us, continues the former president of the Moselle Open. The department that has the naming, the city, the metropolis and the region are committed to our side. They distributed public money for this tournament in order to generate attractiveness for the territory. We must be up to it and responsible for the money entrusted to us to make the territory shine”.
He concludes : “We have our backs against the wall, and we manage to turn things around with a lot of resilience. It reminds me a bit of FC Metz, who had their backs against the wall against Olympique Lyonnais, and who managed to turn things around. would have thought that FC Metz could beat Olympique Lyonnais and continue to dream? All we want them to do is to move forward and maintain themselves, as we will maintain ourselves.