Roma went unbeaten in 14 games after demolishing Monza 4-0 last week. The win was notable for a number of reasons. Firstly, it propelled Claudio Ranieri’s side into European contention in Serie A after looking like they might be pulled into a relegation battle at their lowest.
It also puts them second behind only Bayern Munch in the list of most in-form teams in Europe’s top five leagues.
Here in England much has been made of David Moyes’ return to Everton and the club’s superb form in the league despite being ravaged by injuries. Everton are unbeaten in eight with four wins and four draws. The last time they held such a record was back in 2017.
For both teams the arrival of a former manager to steady the ship has delivered instant results. Roma signed five players in January while Everton, still hamstrung by PSR, secured the signature of Charly Alcaraz. The moves have helped both clubs turn around their fortunes.
But this is not about them. Because there is a third Friedkin Group club that is doing even better this year.
I wanted to write this article back in December when the Friedkin’s took over the reigns at Everton. I knew that last year the Friedkin’s bought AS Cannes, a club in France’s fourth tier, and wanted to see how they were performing after the purchase was confirmed in summer 2023.
It was not good. Cannes were languishing in lower mid table and were looking like they were going to be sucked into a relegation battle. It would be easy to assume the Friedkin’s love of films – they own several companies within the film industry and Dan Friedkin famously flew the Spitfire in the famous D-Day scene in Dunkirk – meant that they liked the idea of owning Cannes, home to the famous film festival, but did not harbour much ambition for the side.
It seems not.
AS Cannes are now top of the fourth tier and this week beat second division Guingamp to reach the Coupe de France semi finals – a remarkable achievement for a team so far down the French pyramid. PSG and Brest remain in the tournament, potentially setting up a huge semi final against one of France’s top clubs.
A founding member, the club was last in the top division in 1997 and the days of Zinedine Zidane, Patrick Vieira and Gael Clichy are long gone. Financial issues mean the club is now the longest resident of the National league with very little sign of life until the takeover.
We asked Coubertin of the AS Cannes blog AS Cannes Fan about the impact the Friedkin’s have made so far.
“The Friedkin group did not hesitate to invest money in AS Cannes,” he said. “This season, the budget is just over 4.5 million euros while the club is playing in the 4th division. The stated ambition is to return to professional level and initially to the second division (Ligue 2).”
Coubertin says the group knows the world of professional football well and he believes the takeover of Everton is a positive for the club. However, there is some concern at AS Cannes about the Everton news.
“Apparently, this group knows the world of professional football quite well, even if, personally and for ethical reasons, I am not a big fan of multi-club ownership.
“This phenomenon seems to be growing more and more and is emerging as the new fashionable trend.
Indeed, how can we know what the priorities of multi-owners are?”
AS Cannes fans expect Friedkin’s to invest money quickly and efficiently in areas where it was needed at Everton because they have seen it before at Roma and their own club.
The story is familiar. Ryan Friedkin, installed as AS Cannes’ CEO, does not talk much. He acts quietly and efficiently, making big decisions when needed and investing in areas to improve the club. If the Freidkin Group can replicate that success at Everton fans will be delighted.
The rise of AS Cannes could also provide advantages for Everton. The Friedkin Group now own a multi-club portfolio but does not seem to want to run it in the way John Textor does with Lyon and Botafago. Players will not be moved between clubs often and the Friedkin’s have already hinted Everton and Roma will operate independently of each other.
While it is unlikely Everton will use AS Cannes like a feeder club it does mean the Friedkin Group will be able to share scouting expertise across its clubs, potentially opening up new opportunities in France for every club in the group. Everton have already expanded their scouting across Europe with new roles focused on Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Scandanavia. Having a partner side located in these areas would expand Everton’s network.
It seems the steady, careful but supportive ownership pf the Friedkin Group has galvanised three clubs across Europe. Long may it continue.