Alain Orsoni 71 former AC Ajaccio president fatally shot during his mother’s funeral in Vero Corsica on January 12
Former AC Ajaccio President Shot Dead at Funeral
The ex-president of a French football club was shot dead “possibly by sniper” while attending his mother’s funeral. The 71-year-old man had just paid his respects to his late mother on the island of Corsica when he was targeted by a killer lying in wait at the cemetery, authorities said.
Alain Orsoni, a former French nationalist activist and president of the AC Ajaccio Football Club, was struck by a single bullet to the chest, police reported.
Father Roger Polge had finished conducting the funeral ceremony for Alain’s mother, Marinette Orsoni, 92, when mourners heard a gunshot. “It was a moment of sorrow and grief, suddenly, we heard a gunshot, and Alain fell dead,” Father Polge told France3.
Emergency services were called to the scene around 4 PM, but Alain could not be resuscitated and was pronounced dead.
Local media reported that an investigation into the murder has been opened, focusing on organized crime.
Alain, who had lived in Nicaragua for many years, had previously survived an assassination attempt in 2008 that police foiled. Members of the Petit Bar criminal gang in Corsica were convicted for the murder plot in 2011.
In the same year, he succeeded his friend Michel Moretti, a former nationalist who had just died, as president of the Athletic Club Ajaccio (ACA) football club. He resigned last year when the club was placed into receivership due to debts estimated at €13.5 million, as reported by lepoint.
In the 1980s, he was a prominent member of the Corsican National Liberation Front (FLNC) before founding the Movement for Self-Determination (MPA). Alain was often seen as a controversial figure in Corsican nationalism.
He left Corsica in 1996 amid a fratricidal war within the nationalist movement and was “exiled” to Florida before moving to Nicaragua, but he still visited Corsica regularly to run the football club.
His brother Guy was assassinated in 1983, a name he later gave to his son, who is a figure in Corsican organized crime.
Alain Orsoni, a prominent figure in Corsican nationalism, was shot dead on Monday, January 12, in Vero, during his mother’s funeral.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Alain Orsoni |
| Age | 71 |
| Event | Funeral of Marinette Orsoni |
| Date | January 12 |
| Location | Vero, Corsica |
| Cause of Death | Gunshot wound to the chest |
| Previous Assassination Attempt | 2008 |
| Debts of AC Ajaccio | €13.5 million |
