Le Mans has released a statement after Thibaut Courtois invested in the club. They put it simply: “A two-time Champions League winner and iconic goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois brings top-level expertise, both on and off the pitch.”

The club went on: “This summer, the Brazilian group OutField acquired a stake in Le Mans FC, and now they’re stepping up even further by finalising the club’s acquisition. They’re doing it alongside a reinforced group of world-famous athletes and European investors.

“This bigger commitment is all about speeding up and solidifying Le Mans FC’s growth. OutField is working with club president Thierry Gomez, providing the resources needed to push the project forward.

“One piece is already in motion: construction has started on a training centre focused on developing local talent. The medium-term goal is to make Le Mans FC a national leader in youth development, turning it into a true engine for growth and a steady pipeline of talent for the first team.”

The club’s ambitions don’t stop there. In the statement, Le Mans added, "As he approaches a decade as president, Thierry Gomez stays at the heart of the project he kicked off back in 2016, building a resilient, well-structured club for the long haul.

“For nine years, we’ve worked hard to strengthen the club’s organisation, build up youth training, grow the women’s section, and bring together everyone involved: players, staff, volunteers, partners, and fans.

“We want to build a sustainable football club that’s ambitious, deeply connected to the city’s famous motorsport heritage, and recognised worldwide. The big priorities are improving on the field and developing the Le Mans brand, both at home and abroad, so we can really unlock all of the club’s potential.”

With all these star-studded owners, some people have started calling Le Mans the “French Wrexham". Courtois now joins the likes of his Real Madrid teammates Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr, who've also invested in clubs. Mbappe put £12.6 million into SM Caen, a French third-division side, in July 2024. Vinicius is the majority investor at Portugal’s FC Alverca, which just earned promotion to the Primeira Liga.

Bringing Courtois on board fits with Le Mans’ big ambitions: they want to make a name for themselves across Europe and beyond, boosted by the support of world-class athletes like Courtois and Djokovic.

Right now, Le Mans sits fifth in Ligue 2, just three points off the top after 23 matches. They won promotion from the third tier in 2024/25 but haven’t played in Ligue 1 since the 2009/10 season, and they’ve only spent five years in the top flight in their whole history. With this new wave of investment and high-profile backing, Le Mans is clearly aiming to change that, and maybe sooner than people expect.

Real Madrid says they've given UEFA everything they've got as the investigation into racism claims involving Vinicius Junior moves forward.

Vinicius, who plays for Real and is Brazilian, told the referee, Francois Letexier, that a Benfica player racially abused him during Tuesday’s Champions League match in Lisbon. According to Real, that player was Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni.

The club put out a statement: “Real Madrid CF announces that it has today provided UEFA with all available evidence regarding the incidents on Tuesday, February 17, during the Champions League match in Lisbon against SL Benfica. Our club has actively cooperated with UEFA’s investigation into the unacceptable racist episodes during that match. We’re grateful for the support Vinicius Jr has received from across the football world. We’ll keep working with all institutions to stamp out racism, violence, and hatred in sport and society.”

The match stopped for about 10 minutes after Vinicius said he’d been abused while celebrating his goal. He ended up playing the rest of the game.

Afterwards, Vinicius posted on Instagram in Portuguese: “Racists are cowards. They need to cover their faces with their shirts to show how weak they are. But they’re protected by people who should be punishing them. Nothing that happened today is new for my family or me. I got a yellow card for celebrating my goal. I still don’t get it. On the other side, all I saw was a half-hearted protocol that didn’t work.”

Prestianni denied saying anything racist to Vinicius, posting his response on Instagram. Benfica called the accusations a “defamation campaign". Their coach, Jose Mourinho, also got heat from the anti-discrimination group Kick It Out. The charity called Mourinho’s post-match comments "gaslighting".

Mourinho told Amazon Prime, “I told Vinicius, when you score a goal like that, just celebrate and walk back. Vinicius and Prestianni told me different stories. I don’t believe either one. I want to stay neutral.” He also said, “Something always happens in matches where Vinicius plays.”