After months of financial turmoil, AC Ajaccio have filed for bankruptcy, losing their professional status for the first time in 27 years.
According to Corse-Matin, the Corsican club submitted their declaration of insolvency on Monday at the Ajaccio commercial court. The decision comes after the board failed to attract investors or cover an estimated €13m deficit. The move will result in the loss of around 180 jobs and the closure of the club’s training centre, which was named the best in Ligue 2 as recently as May.
Ajaccio’s immediate future remains unclear. The French football financial watchdog, the DNCG, has excluded the club from all national competitions, which would force a restart in Régional 1 (sixth tier). However, the association managing the ACA’s amateur arm hopes to appeal before Thursday in a last-ditch effort to secure a place in National 3 (fifth tier).
Supporters have already mobilised in an attempt to save the club. The Socios ACA launched an online fundraising campaign on Sunday which raised more than €10,000 in its first 24 hours.
