Official press release - Transition to the presidency of FC Rouen 1899

Dear supporters, partners, players and members of the FC Rouen family,

After careful consideration and in consultation with my family, I have decided to put away my red jacket at the end of the month and, I hope, hand over to the boss for the position of President of FC Rouen 1899.

This adventure has been an extraordinary experience, marked by passion, struggle, innovation and unfailing ambition. Despite mixed feelings, I remain proud of the work accomplished and the legacy left behind.

I’m particularly proud of my contribution to saving and perpetuating the club, improving its accessibility for people with reduced mobility (PRM), highlighting the doyennes and doyens who embody the FCR’s memory, and valuing the women and children who represent the future of soccer. Thanks to X-Kript, fans will soon be able to acquire a very limited series and range commemorating the FCR’s 125 extraordinary years, as well as the club’s future players’ shirts at a decent price, under the 50 euro mark.

But innovation hasn’t stopped there. Under my tenure, the FCR has seen a major breakthrough in the technological and digital fields, with the launch of a brand new, modern website, designed to offer a fluid, accessible experience for all. We have also developed mobile applications, so that every supporter can follow the club’s news, buy tickets at the click of a button and live their passion every day, wherever they are. Soon, subscription options will be available via a multi-level FCR 1899 supporters’ club, offering exclusive benefits and a new way of actively supporting the club. This digital shift was essential to modernize FCR’s image and enable it to compete with the best.

Although it may seem audacious, as I’ve often said recently: I didn’t need soccer, I needed football. I would have liked to go even further and realize all the ambitions I had for this club, but certain obstacles beyond my control make this task far more complicated than it needs to be. There are still many challenges ahead, and I hope that those who will be responsible for the future of the FCR will take the necessary decisions to preserve and grow this club. It would be just as easy to avoid the disaster that is looming for soccer in general, but it seems that at certain levels, notably within the federation, the real will is lacking…

Although my mission at the head of the FCR is coming to an end, I remain convinced that this club has immense potential to exploit… and that I have other challenges to take up.

The next home match, against Dijon on March 28, will be my last as president. It will be my last chance to fully experience the unique fervor that makes the FCR so great.

I’d like to thank Tarkan for understanding and accepting my resignation as Chairman, and I sincerely hope that he will take over the reins himself. He has always been the pillar of this project, and no one better than he will continue to carry it forward with ambition.

I would also like to thank the supporters, who have never ceased to support this club, the administrative staff, who work behind the scenes to keep this institution running, and a special thought for the volunteers, without whom nothing would be possible. Among them, Pierre Bottais, who gave me one lesson in humanity after another during my time with the FCR.

History will remember who fought to save this club… and who fought to destroy it. Each will bear the mark of his or her choices, and time will do its work.

FC Rouen 1899 will continue on its path, and I wish it all the best. My commitment to innovation in sport and to ambitious projects does not end here.
Rouen is not goodbye, it’s continuity in another form.

Red and white and proud, always.

Iwan Postel