Cambodian Prince Makes Offer On Saint-Etienne

Paris: Officially on sale since April 13, AS Saint-Etienne may have found the rare bird. Prince of Cambodia, Norodom Ravichak, who, according to information, made an offer of 100 million euros on Friday (September 17) to KPMG bank for the takeover of the Forézien club. For the moment, the Saint-Etienne board has not yet reacted, discussions could begin in the coming days, as the offer, especially in the current economic context, seems unexpected.

Norodom Ravichak, a grandson of King Sihanouk, is in love with France as was his grandfather, a personal friend of General de Gaulle and a convinced Francophile until his death in 2012.

“The prince would come with ambition”

Passionate about football, the prince wishes, through the purchase of one of the most emblematic clubs in French football, to perpetuate the close links which have always existed between France and Cambodia, including in the scientific, cultural and sporting fields. 

Since the restoration of the Cambodian monarchy after the Cold War, part of the Norodom family now lives between Paris and Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. If this candidacy is accepted by the duo Bernard Caiazzo-Roland Romeyer, the Greens could envisage the future with a certain optimism. Norodom Ravichak especially does not want to make a financial transaction with the club. He would come to form a competitive team “with a lot of ambitions”, his entourage explained.

The next few days should allow us to see more clearly in this matter.

Translated from LE PARISIAN

*This is not the first time a wealthy Cambodian has attempted to buy a European football club. Back in late 2018, a Cambodian businessman was linked with a bid for Polish side Wisla Krakow.