While Olympique de Marseille (OM) is in the midst of a crisis, the mayor of the city, Benoît Payan, expressed on Wednesday February 3 his wish to sell the Stade-Vélodrome (renamed Orange Vélodrome in 2016). During an exchange with Internet users, the councilor underlined the high cost that the stadium represents for the municipality even though Marseille has a financial situation “Catastrophic”, according to a recent audit.
” I want to sell [le stade] because it costs us too much money. I want to sell it because it’s a financial mess ”, he explained, recalling that he had already expressed himself in this direction when he was in the opposition. At the end of September, he took over the reins of the city, at the head of the left-wing coalition of the Marseille Spring, after the resignation of the ecologist Michèle Rubirola, who became the first deputy mayor.
“I will if I find a buyer. And I will manage in the months, the years to come to find a buyer. The stadium is no longer possible. Niet, finished. Fifteen million euros from the pockets of Marseillaises and Marseillais for thirty years, finished. “
During the delivery of an audit, ordered after the victory of the left in the municipal elections, the elected official had denounced, earlier in the day on Wednesday, a waste of public money by the former right-wing majority, in the power for twenty-five years. “And, in terms of mismanagement, it is often through sport that the previous majority have sinned”, particularly regretted Mr. Payan. “Bad financial negotiation [du Stade-Vélodrome] cost us 93 millions of euros “, according to him.
A rent of 5 million per year, instead of 8 million
Inaugurated in 1937 with a cycle track, then renovated and delivered in October 2014, the Stade-Vélodrome has become the second largest French stadium. A roof was installed, the work of which cost 268 million euros. While in opposition, Mr. Payan denounced the public-private partnership initiated with the Arema consortium for the renovation of the stadium, pointing out a significant additional cost linked to “Exorbitant financial charges”.
On the revenue side, the regional chamber of accounts had already estimated, last November, that the rent paid by the OM to the municipality was too low. It would have to go from 5 million euros per year today to 8 million, wrote the magistrates, also denouncing the 52.2 million euros in subsidies paid between 2012 and 2017.
The declaration of the mayor of Marseille comes in the midst of a crisis at OM. After the intrusion of exasperated supporters into the training center four days ago, the club’s coach, André Villas-Boas, announced, two days ago, his resignation following a disagreement over the transfer window. He was laid off.
