Interview by videoconference
To discover
The schedule for the new season of Top 14
Why did you make this big financial effort to recruit Cheslin Kolbe?
Bernard Lemaitre:
It represents an interesting step for the club. His arrival is a milestone in our recent history at the club. We are trying to build something, we have already accomplished phases since the beginning of 2020. This kind of arrival will facilitate our project. Cheslin is a catalyst in many ways. On the sporting front above all, but also with all the enthusiasm he can create around him.
His coming also aims to rekindle the passion of Toulon supporters?
Giving pleasure to our fans is fundamental for us. Everyone is aware of it, the players, the staff and myself. But we didn't wait for Kolbe. The rest of recruitment also contributes to this, as do our new training and management methods. His coming is however a key element to give a dimension that we did not have, for his ability to ignite the game and to win. Cheslin Kolbe is a match-winner who alone can tip a match ...
When you heard about this opportunity, what was your personal reaction?
I am a mixture of enthusiasm and coldness. A very high enthusiasm in front of the sporting interest, the prospect of giving a boost to the Toulon atmosphere, of going back to the great 2010s. And very cold to organize an operation like this one. You shouldn't do anything ...
Can you tell us behind the scenes of this transfer?
First of all, it was not us who went to poach him in Toulouse. It is a superb opportunity that we have been offered. An intermediary alerted us to the possibility of bringing him in and we believed in it. I understood that we were the only French alternative, that he had the choice between Toulon and a South African club. But only Toulon was able to do it. Then it was very simple with Stade Toulousain. There is a relationship of trust between the two presidents and the negotiations were carried out smoothly. In two weeks, which is not long for this type of operation. I would like to underline the extremely collaborative attitude of the Toulouse president. It was a royal road to close this deal quickly.
"
Regarding Kolbe's salary, everyone had to make an effort to reconcile points of view ...
"
Bernard Lemaitre
Cheslin Kolbe had two years of contract left at Stade Toulousain. It was therefore necessary to buy back this contract…
Yes there was a transfer fee.
But I wouldn't give any financial details.
It is pointless to comment on the figures, false, which came out (
Midi Olympique advanced the amount of 1.8 million euros, Editor's note
).
But it is certain that compensation is essential in this kind of transaction ...
Kolbe had been refused a salary increase at the Stade Toulousain. He touched 640,000 euros a year and wanted to reach the annual million. Did you meet his salary requirement?
Everyone had to make an effort to reconcile the points of view. On our side, there was a limit: not to derogate from the constraints of the salary cap by any means. We got into the nails on that side ...
To amortize this transfer, we will have to capitalize on the economic benefits: sponsorship, sale of shirts, attendance at the Mayol stadium…
Yes, absolutely. It's part of the math. We took it into account. It is imperative to monetize its arrival to amortize the cost. You have to create a current of passion. The contract was signed a little over an hour (
around 11 am, Editor's note
) but we are already thinking. We will work on it to better exploit the image of the great players, Cheslin but also Etzebeth, Ollivon, Serin… The club has a lot of progress to make to promote the image of these players for the benefit of the club.
What does your new equipment supplier, Nike think?
They lose it in Toulouse, they recover it in Toulon.
It's a bit of a draw for them.
But in their promotional policy of Toulon, they are delighted.
They will help us in our promotional effort.
“
We know that his presence will be limited to six months.
But it is important that this kind of player is there for the decisive matches.
The sporting and economic benefit seemed sufficient to tip the scales.
"
Bernard Lemaitre
Is an arrival like this part of the line of Wilkinson, Botha, Giteau…, of a brilliant and luminous RCT?
Toulon will not become shiny and luminous again only by this strategy.
We can no longer adopt the one applied by Mourad (
Boudjellal
). The club cannot afford it. And the extremely strict constraints of the salary cap no longer allow building solely through a star policy. This is why we launched a training plan two years ago. Our policy is to create the stars of tomorrow, French and foreign. It will take a little while. This is a medium-term policy, it will take three to five years to materialize. In the meantime, we need people who pull the club up the team. Very great players. Cheslin is one of them, but he's not the only one. Our workforce, which is very rich in number of internationals, is proof of this.
But this arrival goes against your recruitment policy: you no longer wanted stars, more internationals…
One of the axes of our recruitment policy is indeed to be less dependent on internationals.
We already have 7-8 French and some foreigners in this case.
This is a huge drain on every international window.
With Kolbe, we accentuate this phenomenon, we are aware of it.
We know that his presence will be limited to six months.
But it is important that this kind of player is there for the big matches, the decisive matches.
The sporting and economic benefit seemed sufficient to tip the scales.
“
The arrival of Cheslin puts an end to our recruitment this season.
We don't have the means to go further.
"
Bernard Lemaitre
Kolbe is your Messi?
I'd rather he was a messiah with an e at the end, if you'll allow me that pun.
Either way, it was a great opportunity but I don't compare at all.
Football and rugby are not the same scale ...
Are the sporting ambitions of the RCT revised upwards with this additional weight?
The ambitions for this season remain the same, those already set internally because we needed a very strong commitment, physical and moral, from the players.
Namely to be at least in the 6 in Top 14, or even in the 4, that would be better.
As for the Challenge Cup, whose final will be played in Marseille, we have the ambition to win it after losing in the final against Bristol last season.
Does this recruitment put an end to your transfer window or are you still looking for a big three-quarter center?
It's a good question. We are not as helpless as we can say in this position, but we had, it is true, the ambition to recruit a center of very high level. The arrival of Cheslin puts an end to our recruitment this season. We don't have the means to go further. But we are already tracking high level crosses for next season.
