Sawt Falasteen - Worries for France's Le Coq Sportif ahead of Paris Olympics

The company, which was bought out from near-bankruptcy in 2005 by Franco-Swiss businessman Marc-Henri Beausire, is the main supplier for French athletes at the Paris Games that begin in under 60 days.

On Monday, shares in Le Coq's Swiss holding company Airesis were suspended on the Swiss stock exchange after it missed a deadline to publish its 2023 financial results, having already delayed issuing them in April.

The group made no comment publicly about the suspension, only saying in April that extra time had been needed to prepare its figures "pending various items of information and their verification".

Known for its cockerel logo that has adorned the shirts of French sports teams for more than a century, Le Coq needed a 10-million-euro ($10.8 million) state-backed loan at the start of last year as losses widened.

The state's involvement reflected the group's strategic importance for the July 26-August 11 Paris Olympics, as a supplier to almost all of the French sports federations, except for a handful including football and athletics.

"There are a few delays," the head of the French Olympic Committee, David Lappartient, told reporters last Thursday, adding that he had met the company's management to discuss deliveries "sport by sport".

"It's a little bit tight but it's ok and we were reassured by this visit," he added.

A source at the company also sounded reassuring when asked about Le Coq's delivery schedule 10 days ago.

"There's nothing alarming. There will definitely not be a breach of duty," the executive told AFP on condition of anonymity, adding that "90 percent" of equipment had been manufactured.

Another French company with a crucial role at the Paris Olympics, IT and cybersecurity supplier Atos, has also hit major financial problems, with the French state looking to nationalise its strategic operations.

- Plan B? -

Some within the French sporting world had long questioned the decision to award the prestigious Olympics contract in 2020 to Le Coq, which reported losses of around 10 million euros in the first half of 2023.

In 2022, it lost around four million euros, after 10 million euros the year before.

The value of its shares has roughly halved over the last four years in a decline accelerated by the Covid-19 crisis and high energy prices caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"There's been panic for the last few weeks. Everyone is looking for a Plan B to avoid a disaster," an official in the French Olympic movement told AFP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. "They're very worried."

"We didn't understand when they won the contract," another official said, again on condition of anonymity. "Everyone knew when they got it that they weren't in great shape."

Le Coq Sportif returned as supplier to the French athletics team for the first time in 50 years at the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022.

The company's heyday was in the 1950s to 1970s, helping forge a retro image that appeals to fans of its footwear and clothing.

It manufactured the first yellow jerseys for the Tour de France, made the shirts for the legendary Ajax football team of the 1970s, as well as the Argentinian team starring Diego Maradona that won the 1986 World Cup.

After enduring decades of financial problems from the 1990s, Beausire's takeover in 2005 offered the group a new lease of life.

It renewed its links with the Tour de France and signed deals to supply the French top-flight football club Saint-Etienne and the national rugby team.

In 2022, it began work on extending the factory at its historic headquarters in Romilly-sur-Seine where the outfits for the French Olympic and Paralympic teams are being made, according to the Airesis annual report.

Although some sports such as judo and cycling have received their kit, an official in a French sports federation that was still waiting said the delay was frustrating.

"It's an additional logistical issue to manage at the last-minute and honestly we've got other things to worry about at this time," he said on condition of anonymity.

Y.Zaher--SF-PST