One year before the World Cup, Bernard Laporte, the boss of French rugby, appears from Wednesday September 7 for 15 days before the Paris Criminal Court on suspicion of corruption and influence peddling. At his side, in particular his number 2, the vice-president of the federation, Serge Simon, and Claude Atcher, who was still the boss of the 2023 World Cup in France not long ago. And then, above all, Mohed Altrad, the multi-billionaire businessman in the construction industry and president of the Montpellier club, reigning French champion.
It is essentially the links between Laporte and Altrad that are at the heart of the case. In the beginning, there is this image contract signed in February 2017 for 180,000 euros: Bernard Laporte, just elected president of the Federation, undertakes to participate in seminars, to play a communication role for the group of BTP Altrad, owned by Mohed Altrad. Except that in exchange, this is what the prosecution argues, the boss of French rugby would have granted several favors to the same Mohed Altrad, also president of the Montpellier club, such as opposing a postponement of the match or even alleviating a disciplinary sanction. But above all, a year later, Altrad became the first jersey sponsor of the XV of France, against nearly seven million euros per season.
“So what ?”, responds the defense of Bernard Laporte. First, she says, he renounced the image contract and reimbursed the amount affected as soon as he started to be controversial. Especially the sponsorship shirt was concluded in the rules and invoiced rather very expensive to Mohed Altrad, while no other partner was interested. “Folder is empty“, therefore conclude the two lawyers for Laporte, who should plead for release.
Does this trial weaken the boss of French rugby? Assure him not. Through the voice of his lawyer, Bernard Laporte says to himself “serene”, “curious”even “amused” of this trial. It must be said that police custody in September 2009 had absolutely no harm to him since he had been re-elected just a few days later.
Moreover, a few days before the opening of the trial, at the beginning of September 2022, a motion of support signed by several executives of the federation was published. So, should we see a feverishness in the world of rugby? There is no doubt in any case that a conviction would be an earthquake one year from the World Cup in France. The 58-year-old tricolor rugby strongman is in court until September 22.