Kylian Mbappe’s investment in Caen was meant to be a bold step toward reviving a club with deep soccer roots. However, just months after his investment fund, Coalition Capital, acquired an 80% stake, the club finds itself in a freefall, languishing at the bottom of Ligue 2 and facing an increasingly frustrated fanbase.
Following seven consecutive league defeats and the sacking of manager Nicolas Seube in December, Caen has slipped into crisis mode. New manager Bruno Baltazar has been unable to halt the slide, and after their 3-0 loss to Troyes, the club now sits seven points adrift of the relegation play-off spot held by Red Star FC.
With anger boiling over, fans have turned their frustrations toward Mbappe’s family and club president Ziad Hammoud, raising serious questions about their ability to steer the club out of turmoil. As Caen’s situation worsens, the fan backlash has grown increasingly hostile. On Thursday, banners were displayed at the club’s training facilities, directly attacking Mbappe’s mother, Fayza Lamari.
One of the banners read: “Fayza, the peasants are in deep sh*t.” Another message targeted the club’s leadership, demanding: “Hammoud resign. Where are you?” A third banner carried a stark reminder to the management: “Think of those who work in the shadows.”
These messages reflect the deep disappointment among supporters, who expected a competitive campaign after narrowly missing the promotion play-offs last season. Instead, they have watched their team plunge into a relegation battle.
What did Caen president say about Mbappe?
Under mounting pressure, club president Ziad Hammoud, a close ally of Mbappe, broke his silence over the weekend, addressing concerns in an interview with Ouest-France. Acknowledging the criticism, he admitted: “Perhaps we have not communicated enough, and I accept this criticism.”
However, Hammoud defended the Mbappe family’s involvement, arguing that they are deeply committed to the club’s success: “To say we are disconnected is unfair. The shareholders are true football enthusiasts, 100% involved. They have invested their personal money; this is not a game for them.”
Sporting nightmare: Mbappe’s legacy at risk?
When Coalition Capital took over from American investment firm Oaktree last July, there was optimism that Mbappe’s influence could usher in a new era for Caen. Instead, the project has spiraled into a disaster, raising doubts about whether football superstars should be directly involved in club ownership.
With relegation to National [France’s third tier] looming, the Mbappe family’s first major venture into soccer ownership is facing a credibility crisis. Can a global superstar like Mbappe truly turn around a struggling club, or is this simply a misguided financial experiment?
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