Stade Français and Racing have always had troubled relations.
Alternately neighbors, rivals, enemies, the two clubs even tried to get married just four years ago.
A failed attempt that never passed in front of the town hall.
In this month of March 2021, they still ended up signing a contract together: the transfer of the year to the Top 14.
Gaël Fickou, the three-quarter international center (62 caps) who hopes to win the Six Nations Tournament with the Blues this Friday at the Stade de France against Scotland (9 p.m.), his 27th birthday, therefore changes his role and leaves the Pink Soldiers for the Sky and White.
He had three years left in the capital, he will now train at Plessis-Robinson (Hauts-de-Seine) for the next four seasons, from July 1.
Racing recreates the pair of centers of the XV of France
Common interests motivated this transfer.
When Gaël Fickou joined the Parisian club in 2018 from Toulouse, Racing 92 was already in the running.
“It turned in favor of Stade Français, the player told us.
I believe in fate a lot.
There are things in my thinking that brought me there: messages from players to come, the insistence of Heyneke Meyer
(Editor's note: the South African manager sacked in November 2019)
.
Lots of little cumulative things that, in the end, made it look for Paris.
“The Ile-de-France residents have never given up on his coming and their latest proposal has hit the Parisians.
The international had indeed signed a wonderful contract at the Stade Français.
The biggest salary, by far, of the workforce.
Called up for the French team, however, he did not play as often as hoped for his club.
This season, he could only be aligned eight times in nineteen Top 14 games. With the savings in his salary, Stade Français is also preparing to recruit three non-international players, who will be able to play. , them, all the matches of the championship.
On the Racing side, associating Gaël Fickou with Virimi Vakatawa in the sky and white jersey and thus recreating the pair of centers of the XV of France was a temptation difficult to curb.
Jacky Lorenzetti, the president did not hesitate to buy part of the current contract between the three-quarter center and the Parisian club.
The Ile-de-France armada will thus be even better equipped to run two hares at the same time: the Top 14 and the European Cup.