AS Saint-Etienne sold to the Canadian group Kilmer Sports Ventures the day after its return to the elite

Just promoted to Ligue 1, the Greens changed owners and moved to the Canadian flag on Monday.

New era for the Greens. Promoted to Ligue 1 on Sunday June 2, AS Saint-Etienne announced on Monday June 3 that it had been bought by the Canadian company Kilmer Sports Ventures (KSV). This becomes “the sole shareholder” of the club, according to a press release from ASSE, following the sale of the shares of Parisian businessman Bernard Caïazzo, 70 years old, and local entrepreneur Roland Romeyer, 78 years old.

The new president of the club will be the South African of Greek origin, Ivan Gazidis, 59, considered the architect of this takeover. President of Kilmer sports, he managed Arsenal for ten years and AC Milan for four years. “I know what Saint-Etienne means. I am very proud to be part of the history of the club and to try to bring it back to where it was”he declared Monday during an exchange with AFP.

The Saint-Etienne club was put up for sale for the first time in 2018, without success, then in 2021, before the arrival of Kilmer Group, a Toronto company specializing in private placements, real estate, the sports sector and the media . Its founder, Lawrence Tanenbaum, 78, has been involved in the world of sport (basketball, hockey and football) for several years, according to the group’s website.

The new management team arrives as the Saint-Etienne club marked its return to Ligue 1, two years after its relegation, by obtaining a draw in Metz (2-2) on Sunday, after winning (2-1) at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium . “I am very happy for the club, its staff, the city, Bernard and Roland. Of course, it is not to our credit but we arrive at the right timecommented Ivan Gazidis. On the other hand, our responsibility is even heavier.”he added.

“I was favorably impressed by what was built here, the facilities are excellent, the people, above all, have an excellent culture, with a real family spirit while being open and with the desire to progressadded the neo-president of ASSE. But we don’t make big promises that are only as good as the day they are said. We will move forward step by step and the first will be to remain in Ligue 1.”