French football legend Bafetimbi Gomis has embarked on a personal quest to rescue his beloved, struggling boyhood club AS Saint-Étienne from their dire straits, eyeing deep-pocketed Gulf investors as potential saviors for the fallen giants.
Gomis, who rose from the Saint-Étienne youth academy to become an international striker with France, has watched in dismay this season as his once-proud home club sank to the second division after years of mismanagement.
Currently starring in Japan for Kawasaki Frontale, the 37-year old is leveraging his global connections to lead the charge in finding a wealthy buyer that can restore Saint-Étienne to their former glory.
“Often, I talk about it in the Gulf countries, where I have quite a few friends,” Gomis told French paper Le Progrès. “If there is a club to buy, I tell them it could be Saint-Étienne. The club and the city need it. I would like one day for one of my friends to buy ASSE.”
Having won 10 top-flight titles and captivated the town as its beating green heart, ASSE holds a special place in Gomis’ heart.
The striker believes new ambitious owners, potentially from the Middle East, could provide the financial muscle and vision to fuel a bright new era.
Should such a takeover occur, Gomis even floated a possible return to Saint-Étienne in an executive role following his playing days. “When you have a rich career, this competence and legitimacy, and provided that there is a real project which allows Saint-Étienne to be put back in the place it deserves, I will come back with pleasure,” he stated.
As the club he loves struggles through a difficult season marooned in Ligue 2, the prodigal son Gomis works tirelessly off the pitch to court the foreign investment that could one day see the mythical green Panthers rise again.
